Kerala today launched a government-owned OTT platform ‘CSpace’ with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan terming it as a decisive step in the onward journey of Malayalam cinema.
Inaugurating CSpace at a function held at the Kairali Theatre here, the Chief Minister termed it a pioneering initiative that would give prominence to films with artistic and cultural value without hurting the mainstream film industry.
Noting that earning profit was the prime motive of the private-sector OTT platforms that mostly go for commercial movies, he said CSpace was set to make a mark as a medium to promote quality films.
“Private OTT platforms give prominence to films in the most widely spoken language since their prime motive is to maximize profit. The priority of CSpace, on other hand, is to onboard and stream contents with artistic and cultural values. This will also help promotion of Malayalam language and culture,” Mr.Vijayan said.
The launch of CSpace also signifies leveraging of the cutting-edge technologies, which will define the Malayalam cinema in the future, he said.
The decision that CSpace will only stream films that are already released in theatres signifies that this is not a move that will harm the interests of the film industry. Its aim is to promote good cinema without hurting the interests of the producers and exhibitors, the Chief Minister added.
Presiding over the function, Culture Minister Saji Cherian said the launch of CSpace aligned well with the government’s policy of supporting art and artists representing diverse traditions. The films that win State, national and international awards will be streamed on the platform, he said.
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty; Food and Civil Supplies Minister G. R. Anil; Antony Raju MLA, and Mayor Arya Rajendran were also present at the function.
CSpace will be managed by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation. KSFDC Chairman and eminent director Shaji N. Karun said CSpace was a novel initiative that would help producers get back their investment through the crowd-funding route. Total transparency in profit it earns and the number of viewers it attracts are the distinguishing features of the platform, he said.
For selection of the content, KSFDC has constituted a 60-member curator panel including eminent cultural personalities Benyamin, O.V. Usha, Santhosh Sivan, Shyamaprasad, Sunny Joseph, and Jeo Baby.
The content will be evaluated by the curators considering its artistic, cultural and infotainment merit, before showcasing them on the platform.
A total of 42 films have been selected in the first phase for streaming on CSpace, including 35 feature films, six documentaries, and one short film. Films that have won national or State awards and those exhibited in major film festivals will also be streamed.
The platform, which operates on pay per view basis, allows viewers to watch a feature film for ₹75 and shorter contents for much lesser price. Exactly half of the amount charged goes to the content provider.
Viewers can download CSpace app from Play Store and App Store from March 7.
