|
a division of ASA Productions, DAR Motion Pictures
(DAR), the filmed entertainment division of DAR Media Private Limited (a DAR Capital Group
Company) today announced their plans to produce and release another two 3D movies, taking their
total co-production pipeline to three 3D movies. Furthermore, they also announced that they have been
joined in this endeavour with like-minded market leader UFO Moviez India Limited (UFO), the world’s
largest satellite delivered digital cinema network.
With a total investment of over INR 100 crore, DAR and BVG have agreed to produce, market and
release three next generation stereoscopic 3D films over the next two-three years starting with India’s
first Stereoscopic 3D film ‘Haunted 3D’. Helmed by leading Indian film-maker and master of Horror,
Vikram Bhatt, the film is all set to hit the theatres on 6th May 2011. The remaining two movies in this
deal are edge-of-the-seat 3D action thrillers. Extensive research on this segment has shown that such
genres have tremendous appeal.
Announcing the partnership, Vikram Bhatt, Movies Director and Board Member ASA Productions
said: “A new industry is emerging and this is the dawn of that industry. When all arms of movie making
come together nothing can keep that movie making industry growing from strength to strength. This is the
big coming together of Production, Distribution and Exhibition companies to keep the 3D space alive and
kicking!”
“This partnership is a gigantic step towards fast tracking the Indian 3D revolution” said Arun
Rangachari, Chairman, DAR Capital Group. “There is no doubt that 3D films are the future not just
internationally but in India as well. Given our complete belief in this technology and the chicken and egg
situation between the film exhibition and distribution fraternity and producers in India with regards 3D
films, we decided to take the plunge with Vikram through this announcement and are very glad to have
found like minded partner in UFO,” added Arun.
While BVG & DAR will be spearheading the production & marketing effort, UFO will pioneer the effort
in increasing the 3D compliant theatres in the country from the current 130 odd screens to around 250-300 screens for the Haunted 3D release in May 2011. By the time of release of the third movie of this
consortium the expected number of 3D screens in India is expected to rise to approximately 1200 screens.
Commenting on this significant association, Mr. Kapil Agarwal, Joint MD, UFO Moviez India Ltd
said: “We at UFO Moviez are committed to enhance the country’s 3D footprint and being a pioneer in
this industry’s technological revolution, we are focused on bringing in this next wave of change through
our innovative business model designed around state-of-the-art 3D digital cinema systems with satellite
based delivery to theatres across the country. This initiative of partnering with DAR Motion Pictures and
BVG Films, is an important step in our strategy to leverage the future growth potential of 3D technology.
UFO's thought leadership and innovation seeks to deliver great services that will provide wider access to
audiences to compelling content, whenever and wherever.”
The sub-continent’s first new wave 3D stereoscopic film Haunted 3D features the latest digital 3D
cinematography and projection techniques seen in Avatar (2009), the James Cameron blockbuster
that created box office history and popularised the new format worldwide. Furthermore, filmed by the
well-known 3DCC’s international team of technicians, including Brent Robinson, Christan Jeams and
Cassidey and Micheal Reuben Flax, who have worked on the 3D and horror genre in Hollywood films
like Resident Evil – the Afterlife, Saw 7, The Incredible Hulk, etc., the film has been shot with the crew’s
custom 3D stereoscopic digital motion picture camera system and rigging. Haunted 3D’s extensive
special effects were done at Prasad Studios, Chennai.
Concluding Vikram said: “We want to give audiences 3D that is high quality entertainment and not lesser
quality 3D, like 2D films converted to 3D that most likely would give the poor unsuspecting audiences a
headache!”
About BVG Films (A Division of ASA Productions and Enterprises Pvt. Ltd):
The raison d'etre of ASA Productions & Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. is to give a great idea the execution it deserves. With
Vikram Bhatt, who has directed hit films such as Ghulam, Raaz and 1920 at the fore on the creative and business
front, our journey in the entertainment industry began long before it was established in 2006.
At ASA, we want to strive to make the new ideas come alive. We want to create brands that exemplify great music,
define visual presentation and technical brilliance. Our ventures and projects are grounded in this vision, not
limited by production of only feature films. Thus, we are simultaneously embarking on aggressively setting up
additional business verticals in Entertainment, commencing with Music, Home Video, and Television. ASA has been
engaged in the distribution of music & home video in India and will now include motion films for theatrical, non-
theatrical and broadcast distribution.
It was launched to fill a gap in the market to spearhead a thrust into the entertainment industry of the largest film
making country and aims at being a full service distribution company representing programming for both thedomestic and international marketplace, including cable, satellite, free TV, video-on-demand, broadband, Internet,
educational and home video/DVD. ASA plans to obtain distribution rights of Indian & foreign films.
About DAR Motion Pictures:
DAR Motion Pictures (DARMP) is the filmed entertainment division of Dar Media Private Limited, which forms
part of the global investment advisory and private equity firm, DAR Capital Group. Established with a firm
commitment to develop a range of quality cinema projects in Hindi and other regional languages of India, DARMP
aims to take full advantage of the tremendous interest and passion that the country’s cinema has generated across
the world.
DARMP aims to indigenously conceive and develop bench-mark creative concepts, utilize the best available
technical and artistic expertise, deploy comprehensive marketing best-practices and utilize a host of innovative and
focused content delivery channels, to reach out to audiences not only in India but globally.
DARMP maiden bi-lingual production (Hindi version titled ‘City of Gold’, Marathi version was titled ‘Lalbaug
Parel’) received an outstanding response from both critics and audiences. DARMP has developed a production
slate of 11 film projects, several of them in multiple languages through 2012.
About UFO Moviez India Ltd.
UFO Moviez, founded by the Valuable Group and jointly promoted in association with Apollo International Limited,
is the largest chain of satellite based digital cinemas in the world with close to 2500 theatres across India, including
35% of Multiplex screens. UFO Moviez downloads digitally mastered high quality movie images through satellite
directly to cinema halls facilitating wide release of any film without any additional cost in prints for content owners
and unprecedented viewing pleasure to movie viewers alike and has till date screened almost 7 Million shows all
over India and has released over 3100 movies till date in 23 languages. UFO has revolutionized the way films are
distributed and exhibited in India through its pioneering technology and infra-structure. UFO Moviez envisages
a ‘FIRST DAY FIRST SHOW’ regime for film distributors and cinema owners across the country. UFO Moviez has
been providing its technology solutions to quality conscious Indian audiences. UFO also demonstrated its capability
of showing live IPL matches in cinemas across the country, both in 2D as well as 3D. Currently, UFO is the market
leader in digital cinema market with close to 80% of the total market share. |
