Kerala film exhibitors threaten to shut theatres

Thiruvananthapuram, April 21 (IANS) With the Kerala Film Producers' Association already on boycott, another important stakeholder in the entertainment industry - the exhibitors --Wednesday threatened that if the present crisis is not solved, they would close down all theatres from May 1.

Speaking to a TV channel here Wednesday, Liberty Basheer, president of the Exhibitors Federation, asked what is the use of keeping the theatres open if no films are being produced?.

"This present stalemate has to end and it has to end at the earliest. There is going to be a meeting of the Kerala Film Chamber April 24 and we expect this issue would be taken up," Basheer said.

The chamber is the body of producers, distributors and exhibitors of the Malayalam film industry.

The producers association is cut up with the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) because despite two rounds of talks with them last year to bring down the cost of production, no concrete steps were taken by AMMA.

The producers association hence decided that no new films would be produced.