And the award goes to...OTT platforms?
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has tweaked its rulebook to allow movies released on OTT (Over The Top) platforms like Netflix to be eligible for Hollywood’s most coveted awards, the Oscars, for the year 2021. This comes amid the coronavirus pandemic that has halted all businesses associated with filmmaking, including distribution and theatre screenings.
This decision has relevance in India as the Tamil Nadu Theatre and Multiplex Owners’ Association recently objected to a production house decision’s to release actor Jyothika’s film Ponmagal Vanthal on an OTT platform. The association has threatened that it would block the release of all films starring Jyothika’s husband and producer of her film, Suriya, saying the movie cannot make its digital presence before being screened in theatres.
After piracy, distributors and theatre owners have a new roadblock to overcome as the lockdown has downed the shutters on movie houses. State governments will likely wait for normalcy to return before allowing operations in closed, crowded spaces. Viewers too will fear stepping into theatres for some time even after they reopen. So the OTT medium is tempting for a host of films waiting in the wings for release. Opting for a digital release may seem the only way forward for filmmakers to ensure they do not remain canned.
However, theatre owners are a disgruntled lot with this release as they fear it will pave the way for a disturbing trend at a time when they are already dealing with massive losses. Trade experts have estimated that theatres have lost Rs 80-90 crore per week after they remained shut since mid-March. Theatre owners and distributors have been requesting filmmakers not to switch to streaming platforms, and wait for theatres to reopen.
What is the way forward? Perhaps, the small budget films could opt for digital premieres, while the mega-starrers, which may have adequate cushioning to absorb losses, can consider waiting for a theatre release as they are the only hope to draw audiences back to the movie houses in the post-corona era.