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NEW
DELHI: The National Film Awards would be presented on
3 May every year since it was on that day in 1913 that
the country's first indigenous feature film 'Raja Harishchandra'
by DG Phalke was released.
According to Information and Broadcasting Ministry sources,
there would be a special tableau on Indian cinema at
the Republic Day parade on 26 January next year to mark
one hundred years of cinema. The government would appreciate
if some film personalities took part in this tableau.
The Ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding
with the Tourism Ministry to promote India as a film
tourism destination and these two ministries will work
with the Home and Culture Ministries towards creating
a single window clearance for those wanting to shoot
films in various parts of the country.
Cinema
is a cultural artifact and therefore has to be preserved.
The country had made around 40,000 feature films till
2010 but many had been lost to posterity. The National
Film Heritage Mission had been given a sum of Rs 50
billion to help restore and preserve these films and
at least 2,500 films were being restored in the first
phase.
While
video and internet piracy is a major issue, the main
need is to create public awareness about this in a
multimedia campaign in which the industry must also
take part. Plans had been drawn up in the 12th Plan
towards this, and sensitisation of police officers
would be the first step in this direction.
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