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President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said on Thursday that cinema artistes had a big role to paly in overcoming the threats posed to the local cinema by the globalisation process.

The local cinema has been able to overcome these challenges to a certain extent today due to the courage, strength and resilience shown by our film artistes and the support and assistance received from the PA and UPFA Governments, the President said in a special message to mark the 29th Sarasaviya Film Awards night organised by ANCL at the BMICH, Colombo.

The President in the message read out by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, who deputised for her as the chief guest on the occasion added that the UPFA Government would provide all possible assistance for the uplift of the local cinema and the progress and welfare of film artistes.

The President recalled that the UPFA in its election manifesto has pledged to protect and safeguard the arts, media and the national heritage.

The President's message said:

The Sarasaviya Film Awards ceremony is considered the country's leading and glamorous national arts festival and at the outset I wish to thank the organisers of this colourful event for having invited me to grace the occasion as the chief guest.

Although I eagerly looked forward to participate in this event I could not do so due to my being indisposed during the last few days and I wish to express my sincere regrets to ANCL Chairman Janadasa Peiris and the Board of Directors for my inability to attend. This moment brings to me fond memories of the times I attended the Sarasaviya Film Awards ceremonies with my late husband Vijaya Kumaratunga before I became President of this country.

I think my close connection with the Sarasaviya Festival is the result of my deep love and interest in the cinema.

I have taken an interest in the cinema from my childhood. This interest further increased with my marriage to Vijaya. This provided me with an opportunity to associate closely with film actors, actresses, directors and producers.

Most of the cinema artistes present today are personally known to me. This association has made me take a great interest in the development of the Sri Lankan cinema industry.

The Sri Lankan cinema had its beginnings in the 1940 decade. To be exact, it started with the screening of the film "Kadawunu Poronduwa' in January 1947. During the 57 year period which followed, our cinema industry has gone through both bright and dark periods. I don't wish to tire you by speaking on the history of the cinema at length. Since a large number of people interested in our cinema are present here today, I wish to recall a few important milestones in the history of our cinema.

In the early 1950 decade, our films were influenced by popular Tamil and Hindi films. The Sri Lankan cinema tradition underwent a major change with the production of 'Rekhawa' by Dr. Lester James Peries in 1956. With the film 'Rekhawa' we were able to shelve South Indian features from our cinema. With it a cinema which gave prominence to local acting styles was born.

With this an effort was begun to make more artistic films. The Sinhala cinema gained maturity with Lester James Peries's 'Gam Peraliya'. It was the cultural revival which began in 1956 and progressed in the 1960 decade which greatly influenced this situation. With the start of the 1970 decade our cinema showed a new trend.

Another factor which caused the development of our film industry was the setting up of the State Film Corporation by the Sirimavo Bandaranaike government in 1972. This was the result of the interest shown in the film industry by Mrs. Bandaranaike's Government since 1962.

The then government had also appointed a three member committee to recommend measures to improve the local cinema.

The main function of the National Film Corporation was to control the production, import, distribution and screening of films. But the open economy introduced in 1977 sounded the death knell to the local cinema.

The social, economic and cultural degeneration caused by it influenced the cinema as well. In a society which valued everything in monetary terms commercial films came to the fore suppressing quality or classical films. Production of films without a proper plan during this period caused a surfeit of films which had to remain in a long waiting list for release. This created a crisis in the Sri Lanka cinema.

With the launching of the Independent Television Network and the Rupavahini Corporation in 1982, feature films came to be telecast on the television screen, creating an unfavourable impact on the cinema. A diminishing number of movie goers, closing of cinema halls and deteriorating conditions of cinema halls were significant during this period.

We have been able to overcome this situation to a certain extent during the last decade due to the farsighted program of work implemented by the PA Government which assumed power 10 years ago.

I wish to say that there is a coincidence between the day I became Prime Minister for the first time and the day on which the 29th Sarasaviya Awards Festival is held. I became Prime Minister for the first time on August 19, 1994 almost 10 years back to this day on which the 29th Sarasaviya Awards Night is held.

The Government which assumed office on that day took several far-reaching steps for the development and progress of the cinema. Our vision was to cater to the welfare of cinema artistes and develop the cinema as an industry and an art.

We set up a fund to improve the lot of performing artistes who were in a parlous situation by allocating Rs. 30 million from the President's Fund.

A special committee was also appointed to implement this program, through the Tower Hall Theatre Foundation. When there was a reduction in bank interest rates we allocated another Rs. 10 million for this fund. This fund has now provided great relief to cinema artistes. Our aim was to launch a systematic program to help our local artistes.

We did not approve the policy of keeping the welfare of artistes at the seasonal sympathy and mercy of a handful of philanthropists.

In 1997, I appointed the Senaka Bandaranaike Committee to probe the difficulties faced by the local cinema industry and recommend measures to improve them. However, most of its recommendations could not be implemented. A draft bill incorporating its recommendations was formulated in May 1999 and circularised in June 17 that year. But it could not be tabled in Parliament due to the subsequent change of government.

In improving the local cinema industry we laid emphasis on both (quality) artistic and commercial films. We selected 7 commercial films and gave them loans at 10 per cent interest with a grace period of 2 years.

We did this because I felt that local films should contain both classical and commercial features.

A commercial and artistic balance in films is essential for the progress of the cinema industry. Similarly, a training should be provided to artistes to ensure the development of the performing arts.

Recently we took steps to set up such a training school with the assistance of the Western Provincial Council.

We have also taken steps to conserve films and provide modern laboratory facilities. I humbly feel that these incentives provided by us would have gone a long way to help young cinema producers and directors who had produced a large number of films during the last few years.

We have been able to take our cinema to the international field and enable cinema artistes including actors and actresses to win international acclaim.Today our cinema has faced a new challenge which is globalisation. It has been impossible for the cinema to avoid the influence caused by the free market economy and the attendant relaxation policies implemented worldwide. Globalisation has both favourable and unfavourable features. Our greatest challenge is to protect the local cinema from its unhealthy features.

As a result of globalisation and the technological revolution, Cable TV has already invaded most homes today. How we should face this situation is the subject of discussion today. In other words, this is a dilemma we face today.

There is a justifiable suspicion that the uncontrolled import of films and allowing them to come to our drawing rooms through new technology would cause an unfavourable impact on our culture. Those who oppose this view argue that we can infuse new life and vigour to our cinema through this international influence.

Independent analysts say that the total ban on import of films would not be the proper solution to this problem. However, they say that something should be done to halt the indiscriminate import of sex and crime films. Even schoolchildren have today fallen prey to the invasion of sex films. Whether unlimited import of films should be allowed or not has become the subject of debate even at the World Trade Organisation.

Even developed countries such as France have imposed certain restrictions to protect their cinema from unhealthy cultural influences.

I think our cinema artistes have a big role to play in overcoming these challenges. The moral strength of our cinema artistes can be utilised to overcome these challenges. Our artistes have displayed their strength to march forward by overcoming all obstacles in their path. They have been able to overcome this challenge to some extent because they took steps to produce better quality films.

During the last decade a large number of young film makers have come forward to take our cinema to the international field. They have achieved successful results in their effort to study new cinema trends with the guidance of veteran film directors.

We can really be proud of the new generation which has reached the world of cinema by introducing new creations.

This has also opened an avenue for us to overcome the challenges posed by the globalisation of the cinema. It is not by distancing ourselves from globalisation or by closing gates to the international cinema that we should face the challenges of globalisation. The more we produce quality films we will be able to send them to the global market.

In this effort we should give pride of place to our indigenous features, culture and values. Please do not misunderstand me by thinking that we should totally succumb to tradition. What we need is novelty tied to tradition. It is only then that we can successfully face the challenges of globalisation.

Our Government has decided to provide all possible assistance towards the development and progress of the local cinema. The UPFA in its election manifesto has pledged to protect and safeguard arts, media and the national heritage.

The strength and encouragement provided to our artistes by festivals such as the Sarasaviya Film Festival and awards ceremony should be highly appreciated.I wish to thank Lake House, its Chairman and its Board of Directors for their pioneering efforts in organising this event. I also wish to congratulate the 'Sarasaviya' paper for this noble deed.

Finally, on behalf of the Government and on my personal behalf I wish to congratulate all artistes who won awards at this event today and wish them well.

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