The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a severe blow to most of the businesses and service sectors in Nepal and worldwide. The film industry, which is one of the key creative sectors, has faced a turbulent time since the outbreak of the contagion. Film production has come to a grinding halt and cinemas have remained closed globally with the continued spread of the coronavirus. A drastic change in the media technology was hitting the global film industry even before the emergence of the contagion. This showbiz industry was reeling from problems due to streaming video on-demand. Being a major global public health crisis, COVID-19 has been accelerating the transformation in movie production, distribution as well as viewership.
Needless to say, movies are a substantial value creator. In 2019, global box office revenues increased an all-time high to US$ 42 billion, contributing to about one-third of the estimated US$136 billion in the value of movie production and distribution worldwide. The film industry is also an important sector in terms of job creation. The Nepali film industry has also been passing through one of the most difficult times in its history after the nationwide lockdown imposed in March to rein in the coronavirus spread. Although many other businesses such as manufacturing and trade have resumed gradually, the movie industry is still in the doldrums.
According to a news report carried by this daily on Sunday, all the film shoots have been cancelled, releases put off, and cinema halls closed ever since the announcement of the lockdown. The Nepal Film Producers Association (NFPA) has revealed that some 75 mainstream Nepali films have been forced to bear the brunt of the pandemic. Of them, 28 films were wrapped up as they were almost ready for release at the outset of the lockdown while the remaining 47 were either in the pipeline or had started filming. This unfavourable situation has so far put an estimated investment of Rs. 1.45 billion to Rs. 1.70 billion at stake. Film producers, cinema hall operators and workers are now worried that the film industry's situation could turn from bad to worse in the near future if the pandemic continues unabated.
Filmmakers need to spend about Rs. 8 million to Rs. 25 million to make a Nepali feature film. They cannot make films without taking loans. Since the entire process of filming, distribution or release has stopped, it may be very difficult for filmmakers to pay back loans. Following the lockdown, even the once-thriving all the cinema halls like Gopi Krishna Cinemas and other threatres such as the QFX Cinemas have been dark since March. Many workers involved in the film industry have lost their jobs while others are working for half-salary.
If the current situation does not improve, many more film industry workers will become unemployed anytime soon. As silver screens have remained shut, the movies awaiting release have no alternative but to postpone their screening or show them via Dish Home and YouTube. Despite this, the filmmakers, producers, and cinema hall operators have started lobbying hard for resuming their business. As they are ready to strictly follow the safety guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) while filming and reopening the cinema halls, the authorities concerned should listen to their pleas.