Kerala to set up film institute, cine park and archives centre

Thiruvananthapuram, July 1 (IANS) The Kerala film industry has lots more to cheer about - it is set to get a film institute, a film park and an archives centre, state Culture Minister M.A. Baby announced in the assembly Wednesday.

Baby said so while replying to a calling attention motion by Congress legislator P.C. Vishnunath, who said that the state government should come out with projects and programmes to promote good films in a big way.

"Accomplished filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan has prepared a report on the need for setting up a permanent venue to conduct international film festivals and also some basic infrastructure, which is now being considered for implementation," said Baby.

The state-run Kerala State Chalachitra Academy is the nodal agency that looks after film festivals and promotion of good cinema by organising cinema camps in educational institutions and also for women.

"The academy has done a lot for promotion of cinema and from August they will be screening a classic film every week. I request all legislators to see that they conduct a film festival at their respective constituencies to showcase good films," said Baby.

"We have two more years and we will complete the setting up of the film infrastructure projects before our term ends. We will consider positively the demand to increase the film subsidy given to filmmakers from the present Rs.400,000," the minister added.