New NFC Chairman has challenging role to play

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Media Secretary Rohan Weliwita has now  been appointed as the new Chairman of the National Film Corporation.
We know that ambitious Rohan Weliwita is a man of many parts and is also a go-getter.  He is the chairman of Fine Vision, a director of the Local Film Directors Association and has also excelled as a film and tele drama director and producer.

Unlike other chairmen, Rohan Weliwita knows the in and out of the cinema industry including technical aspects, since he has attended various seminars, workshops and exhibitions relating to cinema technology in various countries.

During the past four years, the National Film Corporation (NFC) has seen four chairpersons and four ministers in charge which did not augur well for our film industry. Therefore we trust, Rohan Weliwita will take stock of the situation and do his best to uplift the Sri Lankan cinema industry, focusing on areas that need immediate attention.

The NFC is already facing a crisis with the release of its Rithma circuit films as the previous chairperson had arbitrarily severed ties with the CEL circuit with which they worked in harmony releasing films for 18 years. According to NFC circular  number 101-01-003 of 2015, film theatres have been split into three streams for the release of Sinhala films – REGAL (CEL/NFC Rithma), RITZ (LFD/MPI) and SAVOY (EAP). But contrary to clauses in this circular, the former chairperson resorted to adhoc actions by cutting off Rithma from CEL, thus creating a friction and soured relationships between circuits and film producers. Finally film producers had to seek redress through legal institutions and the Human Rights Commission.
In addition, film circuits lament that they are yet to receive film hires running into millions from the NFC since July this year. There is grouse over film import quotas too.
We hope the new chairman Rohan Weliwita will look into these aspects 

and work towards creating a harmonious atmosphere in the Sri Lankan cinema industry.

By: Ramesh Uvais