Tamil producers halt film releases from September 1

Tamil film producers have announced a complete halt on new releases, shootings, and post-production from September 1, protesting the unilateral decision of Tamil Nadu theatre owners and distributors to mandate an eight-week gap before films can stream on OTT platforms.

Chennai: The Tamil Film Producers Council and the Tamil Film Active Producers Association on Saturday jointly announced that no new Tamil films would release from September 1 this year.

They also said that all film shootings and post production work being carried out on films would come to a standstill from September 1.

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The producers said the decision to stop the release of all new Tamil films from September 1 was being taken in response to the unilateral announcement made by the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association and the Tamil Nadu Film Distributors Federation with regard to the release of new films on OTTs.

The distributors and the theatre owners associations had said that they would be able to screen in theatres, only those films whose producers gave them an assurance that they would release their films on OTT platforms eight weeks after their theatrical release.

In a joint statement, the producers said, “The distributors federation and the theatre owners association, of their own accord and without holding consultations with others, have decided that they can permit the theatrical screenings of only those films, whose producers give letters stating that they will release their films on OTT platforms only after eight weeks after their films’ theatrical release.”

Pointing out that no such practice was in place in the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka or Kerala, the producers associations said this move, which was being deliberately introduced in Tamil Nadu alone, was one that needed to be condemned.

“When such decisions are made, consultations should have been held with all stakeholders to ensure that no party is affected. Only then should such announcements be made. Therefore, this unilateral decision of the distributors federation and the theatre owners association is unacceptable to producers,” they said.

“In a bid to protest the unilateral decision of the Tamil Nadu Film Distributors Federation and the Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association, the producers have decided not to release any new Tamil films from September 1 this year. Moreover, the producers associations also said that they had decided to stop all film shootings and post production work from September 1.

The producers said that they would taking this problem to the attention of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and the minister concerned in a bid to find an amicable solution to this issue.

Meanwhile, The Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association Secretary S Sridhar, while talking to IANS, expressed hope that the issue would be resolved soon through talks. “There are a number of films slotted for release in the coming weeks from September. We will all get together, hold talks and look to find a solution to the issue,” he said.