THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Forty-two films including six documentaries will be available for streaming in the first phase as CSpace, the country’s first government-owned over-the-top (OTT) platform, goes live on Thursday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will launch CSpace at the Kairali Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram at 9.30am.
Run by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), CSpace aims to provide meaningful infotainment and streaming opportunities with the films on the OTT platform chosen by a panel of curators.
“CSpace is a response to the growing imbalances and multifarious challenges in the OTT sector in terms of content selection and propagation,” said KSFDC chairman Shaji N Karun told reporters.
The curation panel included cultural icons like Benyamin, O V Usha, Santhosh Sivan, Shyamaprasad, Sunny Joseph and Jeo Baby. Besides the documentaries, the bouquet consists of 35 feature films and a short film. Films that have won awards or have been exhibited at major film festivals will also be streamed on CSpace.
The platform will operate on a pay per view basis, enabling viewers to purchase a feature film for Rs 75 and shorter content for a lower price. Once the content is purchased, the viewer can access it for three months if not viewed. Once the content is viewed, it will expire in 72 hours. A single UserID permits usage on three devices. The app can be downloaded from both Playstore and Appstore. The users will be notified of new updates and the addition of new content.
“Around 150 films were reviewed before narrowing it down to 42. Hence, the audience can expect quality content curated by almost 60 panel members. The app will take at least a year to become stable and we are open to all suggestions and innovations at the budding stage,” said KSFDC managing director K V Abdul Malik.
CSpace will address a major concern of exhibitors and distributors regarding their dwindling profits resulting from producers releasing feature films directly on OTT platforms. The KSFDC platform will only showcase films that have been released in theatres. Free content from the government and the Chalachitra Academy, and performances from the state arts festival will be added in due course. “The platform will be a digital archive for Malayalam cinema,” said Shaji N Karun.
Nishiddho, B32 to 44 premiere movies
Award-winning films like ‘Nishiddho’ and ‘B32 to 44’ will be premiered through CSpace. The platform will operate on a pay per view basis, enabling viewers to purchase a feature film for Rs 75 and shorter content for a lower price