SHIVAMOGGA: Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy Chairman Sunil Puranik said that a few prominent movies from a list of selected 2,000-3,000 old Kannada movies will be digitised in order to preserve them for the future generations.
Puranik, speaking at a meet organised by Press Trust here on Thursday, said that around 100-200 movies will be digitised every year. Digitising one movie costs Rs 1.5-3 lakh. It is for the first time since he became the chairman that Puranik is addressing the media about the academy’s future plans. Around 2.5 acres of land has been allotted to the academy by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa at Nandini Layout in Bengaluru. The academy plans to construct a film complex consisting of 4-5 theatres on that land. With the construction of film theatres inside the complex, the academy can avoid renting private theatres during the international film festival.
Puranik said that they plan to start a regional language film festival to promote movies of regional languages like Kodava, Tulu and others. “The state government has given funds to conduct the regional language film festival. I am thinking of starting it from Shivamogga,” he hinted.
Puranik said that a film museum and library comprising of profiles of directors and actors in it, need to be set up in the museum – to explain the contribution and history of the Kannada film industry. A graphic and animation course will be offered and started shortly by selecting people with such interests from 5-6 districts. This will create employment opportunity for such talents,he added.