<p>Mangaluru: Film producers are upset the government is still dragging its feet on payment of subsidies, due since 2019.</p>.<p>The Karnataka government provides a subsidy of Rs 10 lakh to around 100 films every year.</p>.<p>"Bowing to pressure from the Karnataka Film Directors Association, the government recently announced a list of 2019 and 2020 films chosen for payment of subsidy," N R K Vishwanath, association president, told DH.</p>.<p>Veerendra Shetty Kavoor, who directed 'Savarna Deergha Sandhi,' one of 87 films (general category) chosen for subsidy in 2019, said, "Nothing moved after that."</p>.How industry tag helps Kannada films.<p>Information obtained under RTI by DH revealed that the subsidy committee had ignored films made in Kodava and Konkani. Despite half a dozen public releases each year, only two films made in Tulu were declared eligible, an industry insider said.</p>.<p>"Ester Noronha's debut Konkani film, 'Sophia', won a state award for best regional film in 2018. Since then, no films made in Konkani have received subsidies," said Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy President J Stany Alvares. </p>.<p>Manjunath D Dollin, joint director of the Department of Information and Public Relations, said there were no separate quotas, but films made in those languages were considered alongside Kannada films.</p>.<p>About 260 films are made in Karnataka every year, and 50 to 60 are declared ineligible for subsidy as they are remakes.</p>.<p>Many among the remaining films are made on shoe-string budgets of Rs 4 to 5 lakh, only with an eye on the Rs 10 lakh subsidy, Alvares said. "Films in regional languages depend on subsidies as it is difficult for them to get theatre and OTT releases," he observed.</p>.<p>"Karnataka must emulate Kerala or Maharashtra's film subsidy policy," said Abhaya Simha, director of four national award winning films, including Paddayi (Tulu). In Kerala, directors of quality films get packages to use the Kerala State Film Development Corporation's (KSFDC) facilities at Chitranjali Studio in Thiruvananthapuram. "Subsidies are also offered for dubbing and post-production there," he said.</p>
<p>Mangaluru: Film producers are upset the government is still dragging its feet on payment of subsidies, due since 2019.</p>.<p>The Karnataka government provides a subsidy of Rs 10 lakh to around 100 films every year.</p>.<p>"Bowing to pressure from the Karnataka Film Directors Association, the government recently announced a list of 2019 and 2020 films chosen for payment of subsidy," N R K Vishwanath, association president, told DH.</p>.<p>Veerendra Shetty Kavoor, who directed 'Savarna Deergha Sandhi,' one of 87 films (general category) chosen for subsidy in 2019, said, "Nothing moved after that."</p>.How industry tag helps Kannada films.<p>Information obtained under RTI by DH revealed that the subsidy committee had ignored films made in Kodava and Konkani. Despite half a dozen public releases each year, only two films made in Tulu were declared eligible, an industry insider said.</p>.<p>"Ester Noronha's debut Konkani film, 'Sophia', won a state award for best regional film in 2018. Since then, no films made in Konkani have received subsidies," said Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Academy President J Stany Alvares. </p>.<p>Manjunath D Dollin, joint director of the Department of Information and Public Relations, said there were no separate quotas, but films made in those languages were considered alongside Kannada films.</p>.<p>About 260 films are made in Karnataka every year, and 50 to 60 are declared ineligible for subsidy as they are remakes.</p>.<p>Many among the remaining films are made on shoe-string budgets of Rs 4 to 5 lakh, only with an eye on the Rs 10 lakh subsidy, Alvares said. "Films in regional languages depend on subsidies as it is difficult for them to get theatre and OTT releases," he observed.</p>.<p>"Karnataka must emulate Kerala or Maharashtra's film subsidy policy," said Abhaya Simha, director of four national award winning films, including Paddayi (Tulu). In Kerala, directors of quality films get packages to use the Kerala State Film Development Corporation's (KSFDC) facilities at Chitranjali Studio in Thiruvananthapuram. "Subsidies are also offered for dubbing and post-production there," he said.</p>