The Union government on Wednesday announced the merger of four film media units — Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archive of India, and Children’s Film Society of India — with the National Film Development Corporation.
The National Film Development Corporation is a public service undertaking under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The merger has been opposed by a large number of people from the film fraternity. In December 2021, nearly 900 actors, filmmakers and other members of the Indian film industry had written a letter to the information and broadcasting ministry against the merger.
The Preservation related activities that are carried out by the National Film Archives of India have also been transferred to NFDC. The National Film Heritage Mission aiming at digitization and restoration of films and documentaries will now be implemented by NFDC, says the press note.
The government claims that it has shared information about its decision with the film fraternity during an interaction in Chennai and Mumbai earlier this month.
“The Government of India has made a budgetary allocation of Rs. 1304.52 crore up to 2026 for all these activities, which will be implemented through NFDC,” reads the press release.
The organization of film festivals that was the mandate of the Directorate of Films Festivals has been transferred to NFDC. This will bring the organization of different national and international film festivals under one roof.
Veteran documentary maker Anand Padwardan called the move “nothing short of an assault on our Constitution” in his response.
