EU to push European films to Indian cinemas

London, Aug 30 : The European Commission is planning to expand a pilot scheme to put more European films into Indian cinemas.

One of the scheme's co-ordinators said that the plan would provide a counterbalance to the large amount of Hollywood product in cinemas not just in the sub-continent but also in Asian and Latin American cinemas.

EU's Europa Cinemas scheme has announced that it is to build on a small pilot scheme subsidising the distribution of European film within Asia and Latin America.

In Latin America the films tend to be Spanish or Portuguese.

In Asia, the project leaders think audiences in Japan, India and elsewhere have a hunger for European fare generally.

Fatima Djoumer, of the Europa Cinemas project, says Europe's films need help to fight a system of distribution dominated by the US.

"These countries are dominated by Hollywood products," BBC quoted her, as saying.

"In a lot of these countries a lot of cinema chains belong to American companies. American companies show American products - that's it. And Hollywood products are dominating the world anyway," she added.

ANI