| CHENNAI:
Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi, in his inaugural address at Media and
Entertainment Business Conclave (MEBC) 2009, spoke about his dream and vision
to make Tamil Nadu "an entertainment epicentre for the global industry."
He
spoke about Sony Pictures announcing the opening of its facility in Chennai last
year and recent announcement of a strategic alliance between Warner Brothers and
Chennai-based Prasad Corporation. The alliance will "bring their combined
skills in digital post-production and film restoration to clients in Hollywood,
India and around the world," he said. Karunanidhi
also said that a welfare board for the cinema industry had been constituted by
his government and it will help the cinema industry to develop a film city in
the state. He assured that his government had decided to render all the necessary
assistance. Karunanidhi
highlighted the state government’s efforts in helping the Tamil film industry
by reduction of entertainment tax from 54 per cent to 25 per cent. Also, the tax
has now been totally waived off for films having pure Tamil titles, he added. | 
