MUMBAI: Satellite delivered Digital Cinema network UFO Moviez has won the ‘Best Digital Cinema Solutions’ award at the Chhattisgarhi film award ceremony 2013.
Averred UFO Moviez director Satish Jain, “UFO Moviez has brought about a major revolution in the Chhattisgarhi film industry. The number of Chhattisgarhi films releasing in the last three years has increased sharply from just 1 or 2 each in 2007, 2008 & 2009 to 14 in 2010, 18 in 2011 and 14 in 2012, thanks to UFO’s Digital Cinema solutions.
In the pre-digitization era, hardly one Chhattisgarhi film used to release every 2-3 years, but the numbers have shot up to 12-15 films annually in the post UFO era. Today, Chhattisgarhi films are only shot digitally thanks to the availability of UFO’s Digital Cinema exhibition technology.”
Said UFO Moviez India COO Pankaj Jaysinh, “We are thankful for this recognition and proud to be associated with a forum supported by a State Government body as well as local film industry stakeholders. UFO Moviez is a leader and pioneer in converting existing theatres in Chhattisgarh into digital ones so that film producers and distributors can showcase the latest local language films on a first-day-first-show basis to wider set of audiences in the state and even across India.
UFO Moviez has been bridging the geographic divide and increasing the number of Chhattisgarhi films on its digital network over the years. Digital medium of film exhibition has not only benefitted the Chhattisgarhi film industry, but also other regional film industries like Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Marathi, Assamese, Punjabi to flourish. Theatre owners are also reaping the benefits of the digitization of films including higher footfalls in the theatre premises, more ticket collections and enhanced advertising revenue earnings. It’s a win-win situation for all stakeholders of the Chhattisgarhi film business and the industry benefits the most.
Chhattisgarhi film ‘Mayaa’, which was directed by Jain and produced by Rocky Daswani, released in June 2009 and was the first blockbuster Chhattisgarhi movie to release on the digital platform through UFO. As a matter of fact, Mayaa even crossed the collections of Aamir Khan’s Ghajini in Maa Bhuwneswari Talkies, Vinay Talkies and New Raj Talkies.
UFO’s platform has enabled filmmakers to get the maximum revenue which wasn’t possible earlier. Toora Rickshawala, which was produced by Dawsani and directed by Jain was also a blockbuster. The film released on the UFO platform on 4 June 2010 and completed 100 days in Apsara Talkies (UFO Cinema) in Durg.
The ceremony was organized by Filmi Chhattisgarh and sponsored by Credible Chhattisgarh, Cultural Division, Government of Chhattisgarh and Bhatia Film Production. The third edition of Chhattisgarhi Film Award Ceremony 2013 was held on 30 January.
