Javadekar wants promotion of children's films

Mumbai, June 21 (IANS) The central government was keen on promoting children's films by facilitating expansion of their reach through various avenues, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said Saturday.

"If the films are made and we are not able to release them, then the end result will be nil," he said here while stressing the need for production of good children's films which could contribute to their all round development.

In this regard, he said films produced by Children's Film Society, India (CFSI) need to be promoted and marketed well and the budget for promotion and marketing them should be a build-in component of the films' overall budget.

Javadekar said although CFSI films bag national and international awards, they failed to reach wider audiences due to weak distribution.

"We need to explore all options, including outsourcing of distribution to make our films reach far and wide," the minister said.

Besides promoting films through conventional distribution channels, he stressed on distributing them through informal rural communication channels with the help of Directorate of Field Publicity and supported by the Song & Drama Division.

Various religious and community fairs and jatras could be targeted to reach out to the maximum audience.

Javadekar also lauded the CFSI for organising the biennial Golden Elephant International Children's Film Festival in Hyderabad.

He said there was a need to take children's film festival culture to other cities and states in the country, for which he assured the his ministry's support.

On a visit to Mumbai Saturday, he conducted a review meeting of media units of his ministry - including the National Film Development Corporation, Films Division, Central Board of Film Certification and the CFSI.

Besides, Javadekar held a meeting with a group of film producers and TV industry leaders, who briefed him about various challenges they faced and the action required from the government.

Prominent among those present at the meeting were Additional Secretary (Films) Raghavendra Singh, Shaina N.C., Dalip Tahil, Durga Jasraj, Manish Goswami and Raveen Kohli.