Tamil Film Producers halt new releases over 8-week OTT window dispute
Synopsis
The Tamil Film Producers Council has announced a halt to all new film releases, shootings, and post-production from September 1. This is a protest against theatre owners' demand for a mandatory 8-week theatrical window before OTT streaming.
The Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) has announced that no new Tamil films will be released in theatres from September 1 in response to a decision taken by the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association and Distributors Association to screen only those films that are released on OTT platforms after an eight-week theatrical window.
Producers Council Responds to Unilateral Decision
The decision was announced jointly by the Tamil Film Producers Council and the Tamil Nadu Active Producers Association after a meeting held on Saturday at the Council premises. According to the statement issued by TFPC, the decision was taken after the Distributors Association and Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association, without consultation with producers' bodies, announced that they would only screen new films if producers provided a written commitment guaranteeing a mandatory 8-week theatrical window before releasing the movie on OTT streaming platforms.
They have also decided not to provide advance payments for new films. The Producers Council said such decisions were not discussed with the Tamil Film Producers Council, Tamil Nadu Active Producers Association or other industry associations. "Therefore, when such a decision is taken, the Producers Council has decided to not release new films," the statement said. The council further said that it cannot accept decisions taken unilaterally by the Distributors Association and Theatre Owners Association without consulting producers.
Financial Pressures on Producers
Highlighting the challenges faced by producers, the statement said around 250 films are released every year, and many producers struggle to complete and release their films. It added that even for films involving investments of hundreds of crores, business depends largely on payments received from distributors, which has been the practice for years. "Therefore, when the Distributors Association and the Theatre Owners Association take a decision about the producers without consulting them, we cannot accept it," the statement said.
Strike to Halt All Film-Related Work
As part of the decision, the Tamil Film Producers Council and Tamil Nadu Active Producers Association announced that from September 1, no new Tamil films will be released in theatres and shooting and post-production work related to Tamil films will also be stopped. The producers' bodies have also requested the Tamil Nadu government to intervene and find a solution, stating that the issue affects the livelihood of thousands of workers in the Tamil film industry.
The announcement was issued on behalf of the Tamil Film Producers Council by Vice President S Kamalakkannan and Secretaries S Kathiresan and R Radhakrishnan. (ANI)