By Niba Mirza*
COLOMBO (IDN) — Sri Lanka which from time immemorial is linked to South America through the Indian Ocean is now also connected through Joint Movie/ Documentary co-production and audiovisual exchange.
The Asociación Latinoamericana de Comunicación Audiovisual Parlamentaria, ALCAP, or the Latin American Parliamentary Association of Audiovisual Communication, signed a MOU with TTV Media Hub of Sri Lanka so that bridges between Sri Lanka and South America can be diversified and strengthened via enhanced Audiovisual exchange and Joint Movie Production.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between ALCAP and TTV Media Hub was facilitated by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S., Special Advisor Asia and Africa, who convinced TTV Media Hub to be part of “Documentaries for Development,” a concept developed by him which has a special relevance for the Global South.
The MOU was signed by Mr. Bandula Vithanarachchi, Chairman and Managing Director of the TTV Media Hub, Sri Lanka and Dr. Marcelo E. Decoud, General Regional Director of the Regional Hub of ALCAP.
TTV Media Hub is among the leading media organizations in Sri Lanka headed by Mr. Bandula Vithanarachchi who is a renowned entrepreneur and socio-economic innovator par excellence not only in the country but also in the sub-continent.
It focuses on entertainment, performance arts, new media arts, live broadcasting, television, film, photo-shoots along with video production and editing services. TTV Media Hub has a fully equipped and state of the art production studio, professional production facilities, an in-house production team together with technical staff to bring all forms of film production to life.
TTV Media Hub will interact with the concerned government ministry and departments and other organizations on behalf of ALCAP in Sri Lanka for joint movie/documentary productions and audiovisual exchange programmes.
It is to be noted that audiovisual exchange, especially joint movie production, is becoming a very important strategic tool in the sphere of international relations and foreign policy these days.
On March 31, 2021, ALCAP signed an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Government of Ukraine about the documentary production ‘Ukrainian Hearts’, which is about the Ukrainian community in Paraguay. The same will be broadcast on the Public Television of Ukraine and on 22 Regional TV networks of the South America countries.
Earlier in the month, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan signed its second-ever international audiovisual co-production agreement with Belgium to expand the film industry in Jordan, where iconic films such as Lawrence of Arabia, the Martian, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker were filmed.
The five-year deal signed with Belgium in Amman, Jordan will facilitate film and television production in both countries. Belgium is the first European country to hold a film agreement with Jordan, and the second country after Canada.
Audiovisual exchange in general and Joint Movie Production in particular can be a potent medium to enhance international cooperation and exchange of ideas which helps toward building a better world and solving complex and evolving challenges, and to take concerted action to make a positive difference in people’s lives and for the planet.
The same had been manifested in various international institutional agreements such as the SAARC Audio Visual Exchange (SAVE) programme, which is one of the original areas agreed at the inception of the SAARC in 1986.
Sri Lanka is an active member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the current secretary general of the organization. Mr. Esala Ruwan Weerakoon is from Sri Lanka.
The MOU between ALCAP and TTV Media Hub shall help disseminate knowledge and information about Sri Lanka and its rich culture and traditions both within the parliamentary fraternity and amongst the peoples of South America, and vice versa.
The additional benefits will be cultural exchanges and free flow of ideas as well as providing training and marketing opportunities, in addition to harnessing further co-productions and academic and research opportunities between Sri Lanka and South America in the post-COVID scenario. [IDN-InDepthNews – 20 July 2021]
* Niba Mirza is a BA-Philosophy (Honours) graduate from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi. She is pursuing her post-graduate studies in Development Communication from Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi and is interested in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Photo (Left to Right): Bandula Vithanarachchi of TTV Media Hub and Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. of ALCAP
IDN is the flagship agency of the Non-profit International Press Syndicate.
Visit us on Facebook and Twitter.
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. You are free to share, remix, tweak and build upon it non-commercially. Please give due credit.