http://www.bhutanobserver.bt/2009/bhutan-news/12/movie-industry-aching-for-theatres.html?da9fc9c0
Movie industry aching for theatres 30 December 2009 The Bhutanese movie industry is burgeoning, but not movie theatres. O n average, 18 movies are produced in a year. The number is expected to increase. But there has not been any increase in the number of movie halls, which are concentrated in a few dzongkhags like Thimphu and Phuentsholing. Two movie halls in Thimphu and one in Phuentsholing are bursting at their seams. For producers, the wait for movie halls has run into several frustrating months. However, Thimphu and Phuentsholing are better off than rest of the dzongkhags where movie halls are non-existent. The General Secretary of Motion Picture Association of Bhutan, Sherub Gyaltshen, said the biggest challenge faced by producers outside Thimphu and Phuentsholing is lack of movie halls. Producers have to look for multipurpose halls of schools and conference halls that lead to many problems for schools as well as producers. General Secretary said that producers are forced to wait for a theater for at least seven to eight months. He added that it was not a problem with film industries outside the country, only in Bhutan. Previously, movie halls in Thimphu and Phuentsholing allowed a movie to be screened for more than a month. Now that the waiting list has grown longer, one movie can be screened for 22 days only. A ccording to General Secretary, it has become like a custom for producers to wait for festivals to screen their movies. “Some may understand the problems movie makers face, but many are not aware of them,” he said. “We are always informing the government about the problem.” He said that the film industry would be happy if the government could build a movie theatre each in all the dzongkhags. If not, it could give land where private companies could build movie halls. Meanwhile, the manager of Trowa Theater in Thimphu said there were 10 movies waiting to be screened in the threatre. Knowing that the wait is going to be long, producers reserve the theatre even before they complete their movies. Unlike in the past, Trowa Theatre is occupied by local movies throughout the year. Lugar Theatre charges Nu 5,000 for an evening show and Nu 2,500 for a night show. Trowa Theatre charges Nu 8000 a show in the first week and Nu 6,000 after first week. It charges Nu 3,500 for every night show. There are 102 film producers, film makers, music producers and artists registered with Motion Picture Association. Until now, 150 movies have been produced and screened. By Namgay Tshering ------------------------------------ -- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTMedia mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [email protected], OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE Share media news, discuss journalism issues and network with media professionals across South Asia on this mailing list. Just write to [email protected] TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTMedia by sending a blank mail to [email protected] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTCaste: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
