The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Government likely to announce constitution of film academy

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Thursday, Oct 30, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Government likely to announce constitution of film academy

K.N. Venkatasubba Rao

Girish Kasaravalli is reportedly unwilling to head the academy

Government order says academy should
have 15 members
Annual grant of Rs. 35 lakh has been sought
for the proposed multipurpose academy

Bangalore: The Government is likely to announce the long-pending formation of the 15-member Kannada film academy on Rajyotsava Day or during the Vishwa Kannada Sammelan proposed to be held in Belgaum in December.

According to sources, the Government and a section of the industry are said to be keen on appointing Girish Kasaravalli as the head, considering his international reputation, professional excellence and academic outlook.

But Mr. Kasaravalli is reportedly not willing to head the first-ever cinema academy due to personal preoccupations.

Instruction

The constitution of the film academy had been the bone of contention since 1997. However, in compliance with its promise to the Kannada cinema industry, the Bharatiya Janata Party Government had issued an order on its constitution.

It had instructed the Department of Information, under which Kannada cinema faculty comes, to submit a comprehensive report on the proposed film academy after studying the structure and functioning of film academies constituted in other States such as Kerala Chalachitra Academy.

Report

Following that, the department had submitted a comprehensive report on the proposed film academy.

It had also recommended that the cultural body should have 15 members on its board with due representations to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce and other organisations of the Kannada cinema industry, major film societies, film journalists, writers and women.

Objectives

The report had also recommended specific objectives of the academy, including the responsibility of selection of annual awards and refining the cinema policy on a permanent basis.

Specifics

In August 22, 1997, the Government had issued an order for establishing a film academy as recommended by the V.N. Subba Rao Committee on Kannada cinema.

Order

The order had specified that the proposed academy would have 15 members. It had emphasised that the chairman of the academy should have a sound academic and professional background and conversant with the issues of the film industry.

Suggested names

The Government had even discussed names such as G.V. Iyer, Girish Kasaravalli, Girish Karnad, M. Bhaktavatsala and K.V. Gupta for the post. But it decided to shelve the proposal after politics marred the selection of the chairman.

In 2004, the then Congress- Janata Dal (Secular) coalition Government took up the cause and considered the names of a couple of outstanding film-makers to head the proposed academy.

Grant

The Department of Information had sought an annual grant of Rs. 35 lakh for the proposed multipurpose academy.

The department was hopeful that the Finance Department would clear the grant proposal by the first week of October and the academy would come into existence by November.

Deferred

But, shocked by the ugly politics played by some vested interests, including a former president of the KFCC and a couple of film-makers, the Government chose to defer the constitution of the academy.

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