Merger of Film Bodies

In News

• Recently, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) notified that India’s several film bodies will be part of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).

Major Highlights

• Mandate: 
• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) notified the transfer of the mandate for:
  • The production of documentaries and short films, 
  • Organisation of film festivals, and 
  • Preservation of films 

to the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Ltd., a PSU working under the ministry.

• Budgetary allocation:
  • The government has made a budgetary allocation of Rs 1,304.52 crore up to 2026 for all these activities under NFDC. 
  • The revenues generated by these activities, such as producing documentaries, which was hitherto not for profit, will also accrue to NFDC.
• Merger: The merger of four film media units with NFDC: 
  • Films Division (FD):
    • The largest moving-image repository and audio-visual record of Indian history was established in 1948:
      • to create public service awareness films, 
      • to film the decolonisation and nation-building process, and 
      • to produce and distribute newsreels and documentary films. 
    • Colonial agencies such as the Film Advisory Board, Information Films of India, Indian News Parade, and Army Film and Photographic Unit, were handed over to it.
    • FD today has more than 8,000 newsreels, documentaries, short films and animation films on historical events and political figures, including “rare works of stalwarts like Satyajit Ray, M F Husain, Mani Kaul, Pramod Pati
    • FD employees will now be attached with NFDC’s new Production Vertical, which will retain the Films Division brand name.
  • Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF):
    • It was established in 1973.
    • Tasked with cultural exchange, promoting Indian cinema worldwide, organising the National Film Awards and Dadasaheb Phalke Awards, the Mumbai International Film Festival, and the International Film Festival of India in Goa. 
    • All of this will now be part of NFDC’s mandate under its Promotion Vertical, with which DFF employees will be attached on a temporary basis.
  • National Film Archives of India (NFAI):
    • Established in 1964 under renowned curator P K Nair, it was tasked with tracing, acquiring, and preserving the heritage of fiction cinema in India. 
    • NFAI is a repository of “thousands of films, books, scripts, posters, photographs dating back to the 1910s, and actively promotes film research and scholarship on Indian and South Asian cinema.
  • Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI):
    • Formed in 1955.
    • It was tasked with producing children’s films and value-based entertainment, also for underprivileged children, in small towns and rural areas.

Significance

• Convergent activities:
  • The merger of film media units under one corporation will lead to convergence of activities and resources and better coordination, thereby ensuring synergy and efficiency in achieving the mandate of each media unit.
• Loss making corporations:
  • With this merging and making one umbrella organisation, it is expected that loss bearing corporations like NFDC might start to give some profits.

Opposition to Merger

• Kay Karto Bey campaign:
  • A recently formed group has been running a social media campaign, “Kay Karto Bey”, to protest against the alleged lack of transparency and accountability
  • The arbitrary way in which the process has been carried out. 
• Future of archival footage:
  • Employees and independent and documentary filmmakers have expressed apprehension about their future, as well as that of the archival footage, which they want to be declared a national heritage.
• Government transferring its responsibility:
  • Film institutions will be killed if the Government merges them with a moribund body like NFDC. 
  • Archive is a very expensive affair, which is the responsibility of the government, not any corporation.

National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) 

• A PSU established in 1975.
• Its earlier avatar was the Film Finance Corporation. 
• Its job was to finance, produce, and distribute feature films, and to promote filmmakers outside the mainstream. 
• It has made noteworthy contributions to parallel cinema, but has been unable of late to provide exhibition infrastructure to independent filmmakers. 
• Through its Film Bazaar Work-in-Progress (WIP) Lab, NFDC has provided a platform for young talents to interact and learn.
• The PSU was declared a loss-making asset by NITI Aayog in 2018, and its closure was proposed in the Parliament. 
• With the other bodies now being merged with NFDC, it is now the “umbrella organisation”.
• The National Film Heritage Mission aiming at digitisation and restoration of films and documentaries will now be implemented by NFDC.

Source: IE