The Film Federation of India, an apex body of producers and distributors of the country, on Wednesday said it will organise an awards programme in Dhaka to boost the entertainment industry of India and Bangladesh.
The Federation also wants to extend help in developing the film industry of Bangladesh and promote Indian films there, the organisation president Firdausal Hasan said on Wednesday.
"We want to create an environment where both countries can do business. The first Bharat-Bangla Film Awards to be held in Dhaka on October 21 is a step in that direction," Hasan told a press conference here.
Indian films, including Bengali releases, are very popular in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh but do not have proper release network, he said.
A jury committee, consisting of filmmaker Goutam Ghosh, actor-minister Bratya Basu, actress Tanushree Chakraborty apart from a producer and a journalist from here, will select the Bengali films nominated for awards from here, Hasan said adding that there will be award in 12 categories.
From the Bangladesh side, he said, there will also be 12 categories in which films will vie for honours.
The Bangladeshi films will be judged and evaluated by a jury consisting of filmmakers, journalists and critics of the neighbouring country.
There will also be awards for films in eight regional languages - Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati and Hindi to be screened from the Indian side as part of the effort to promote regional cinema.
Goutam Ghosh, who was present in the press meet, advocated opening a single-window system so that films from both the countries can reach out to a larger audience.
He said, "I have felt the need to have an award ceremony to celebrate Bengali films from India and Bangladesh on a single stage."
Ghosh directed Indo-Bangla co-productions 'Moner Manush' (2010) and 'Sankhochil' (2016).
Hasan said the single screens are on the decline in both countries and the producers' body is concerned about the situation and do something.
While the number of single screens has come down from 700 to not more than 280-290 in West Bengal, in Bangladesh the figure has gone down from 1200 to 300, he said.
"We need regular events on a sustained basis in both the countries to celebrate our cinema and make the industry of both countries viable," he said.
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