Film Development Board Executive Chairman Dinesh Raj Dahal Expresses Optimism on New Film Act

Kathmandu. Film Development Board Executive Chairman Dinesh Raj Dahal has said that the new film act, awaited for the past 56 years, is about to be made during the tenure of the current government, which is a matter of joy for the entire film sector.

Speaking at a program organized in Kathmandu, he expressed confidence that the new act and regulations will prove to be a milestone in making the film industry organized, dignified, and regulated.

Chairman Dahal mentioned that he is fully optimistic that the old problems of the film sector will be resolved as the current government's leaders are very sensitive towards art, literature, and music. He argued that the future of the Nepali film industry is now secure because the Prime Minister himself is a singer, the Home Minister is a person with special interest in music, and the Minister of Communications is a personality who deeply understands the art sector. He clarified that with two film personalities in the Prime Minister's secretariat, songs, music, literature, and the film sector will no longer have to deviate from the government's attention.

Stating that cinema halls are still the main source of income for Nepali films, Dahal particularly emphasized the need to increase the number of halls across the country. He informed that the number of cinema halls, which was 450 nationwide before the Maoist conflict, has decreased to 110, and after the blockade and pandemic shocks, it has gradually increased to 175. To take the film industry to greater heights, he has put forward a plan to build 50 new cinema halls nationwide through a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Under this model, it is proposed that local governments will provide land, provincial governments will construct buildings, and the Film Development Board will invest in technical infrastructure.

Speaking at the program, he said, 'The act that is being made, the regulations that are being made, and which will regulate the film industry that ensures our livelihood, food, shelter, and clothing, will end the situation of having to discuss every single issue every time we sit at the table. A clear roadmap will be prepared. Conflicts always happen, but the act that could not be made for 56 years is being made by the current government. That is a matter of happiness for us.' He emphasized the production of original films, stating that the day has come when Nepal will be known not only by the name of Sagarmatha or Gorkha but also as a country of creations like 'Elephants in the Fog'.

Chairman Dahal informed that the government has allocated three and a half crore rupees as 'seed money' for the production of original and creative films, and the board is preparing the working procedure for it. He stated that this budget will be spent on films that present Nepali identity to the global market, not just commercial films.

To encourage the film industry, the board has also requested various tax exemptions and customs concessions from the government. Dahal demanded that all taxes should be waived for the first three years for those opening new halls in small cities and large villages that do not have cinema halls, tax exemption for one and a half years if another hall is built in a place with one hall, and customs exemption for importing necessary technical equipment for establishing new halls.

Complaining that requests to previous governments on this matter were repeatedly ignored, he expressed gratitude for the current government's decision to prioritize the film sector policy-wise and provide income tax exemption on hall revenue. He also clarified that a strong 'OTT' platform is needed in the country now, and the board will move forward positively in that direction.