Cash rewards, awards mooted to strengthen Sandalwood

The Karnataka Film Policy Committee, under the joint leadership of Rajendra Singh Babu, president, Film Academy and SR Govindu, chairperson of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), submitted ten major recommendations to 'strengthen' the Kannada film industry, known as Sandalwood., to chief minister Siddaramaiah. 

Recommendations included the fixing of Multiplex ticket prices for Kannada movies at ₹120, a monetary assistance of ₹50 lakh for the construction of each Janata cinema theatre and an annual film awards ceremony on the birthday of veteran actor Dr Rajkumar. 

While emphasising an increase in financial assistance to high-quality films, the committee asked for ₹20-25 lakh cash awards for National Film Award winning films. 

Films that have won State Film Awards or judged to have superior plots or those based on novels should also be provided with ₹20 lakh in monetary assistance, while those films deemed to be above-average should get ₹15 lakh as monetary grants, the committee recommended.

The committee, comprising 13 members in total, visited Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal before preparing its comprehensive report. 

On receiving the report, the chief minister assured that the Karnataka Government was totally committed to implementing the committee's recommendations.

Key recommendations: 

• Monetary assistance of ₹50 lakh each during the construction of every Janata cinema theatre
• ₹25 lakh monetary assistance for the renewal of existing theatres
• ₹120 to be fixed as the Multiplex ticket price for Kannada films 
• Enhancement of financial support for high-quality films 
• Individual awards for artists and technicians working in Kodava, Tulu, Banjara and Konkani languages
• An annual film award ceremony on the birthday of Dr Rajkumar
• Instituting two new awards for lifetime achievements in the field
•  of cinema
• The establishment of archives, to showcase the rich heritage of Kannada cinema
• The strict implementations of provisions of the Goonda Act  (To crack down on piracy)
• A 5% tax increase on other languages films releasing in Karnataka
   

• kannada films
• Kannada film industry