From rxpgnews.com
Move to register directors divide Pakistani film industry
By RxPG News Service,
Nov 24, 2006 - 10:07:49 PM
Islamabad, Nov 24 - Pakistan government's move to register movie directors based on criteria such educational qualification and past records has angered the film community, who look upon the move as 'a measure to control the industry rather than streamline it'.
Film critic Khalid Naz said the new criteria would make about 80 percent of directors ineligible. Several of them were convicted, he said and films by a large number of directors have been banned in the past.
Naz said hardly six or seven Pakistani film directors were educated, 'making the new criteria more as a measure to control the film industry rather than streamline it'.
Most film directors fear that they would not be able to meet the requirements, Daily Times newspaper said in a report from Lahore, the principal film hub in the country.
Film Directors' Association - chairman Aslam Dar told the newspaper that the government had notified all directors to send in their bio-data and educational qualifications to the ministry of culture.
According to the notice, those convicted under any offence and whose films have been banned in the past would not be allowed to direct new films.
Under the notification issued on July 20 and applicable till 2010, film directors are also required to have a 'FA' degree and two years of experience with a registered director in order to be registered with the government.
A successfully registered director would be charged Rs.5,000 as fee, which would valid for four years.
Dar said the FDA approved of the measure, as it would help improve the standard of the industry.
He lamented that though there were 193 members of the FDA, only six or seven were actively making films, leading to the production of just 15 to 20 films per year.
A dissident group led by director Altaf Hussein opposes the measure. 'Fifty years of experience in film direction matters more than the government's criteria,' Hussein said.
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