KFCC revisits film tourism model to promote Karnataka’s destinations

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has proposed to revive the possibility of promoting popular tourist destinations in the state through films.

KFCC has mooted a collaboration with the department of tourism in this connection and urged the government to identify 100 locations in the state that can attract filmmakers from across the world.

The chamber has sought from the government the introduction of a single-window system for approvals to shoot on locations and a subsidy for producers who promote the destinations through their films. These are among the demands placed by KFCC ahead of the upcoming tourism policy (2024-29).

A department official told DH that the work on compiling a list of the 100 destinations is underway with a focus on “Western Ghats, beaches, hills, waterfalls, dams, local crafts and cuisine.”

Filmmakers DH spoke to said obtaining permission to shoot in airports, railway stations and inside the trains involves “tedious paperwork”. The processes get more cumbersome with heritage sites managed by the state and central governments.

N M Suresh, president, KFCC, said films can also promote some of the state’s 25,000 heritage monuments. “The Kannada film industry produces more than 200 films a year. Films can promote the heritage structures and attract international film studios to shoot in the state,” he said. The KFCC president said the department can collaborate with agencies in Mumbai and Hyderabad to establish contact with these studios.

Film tourism, as an idea, has had a stop-start progress in the state. The Karnataka tourism policy 2020-25 highlights fiscal incentives offered to filmmakers who showcase top destinations on national and international platforms.

The creation of an online single-window mechanism for approvals and clearances "shall be pursued", the policy says. Under its 2018 film tourism policy, the state announced incentives of up to Rs 2.5 crore to filmmakers who promote popular destinations through their films.

Sharing a location-scouting experience in Singapore, a Bengaluru-based filmmaker said authorities were ready to allow the crew to shoot in a zoo, free of cost, if the film promoted the location.

Sanju Surendran, a Kerala-based national award-winning filmmaker, noted how the Korean film industry managed to promote destinations, cuisine, fashion and pop culture through K-dramas across online platforms.

“When filmmakers are required to pay a huge deposit for shooting at certain places, they avoid writing scripts around such locations,” he said.

While an official go-ahead on the film tourism proposal is awaited, a department official pointed out that permissions for film shoots are issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations. The department has promoted destinations like Kodagu, Udupi, Hampi and Chikkamagaluru as potential film locations.

While tourist destinations are managed by various government agencies, the creation of a single-window platform shall be an “inter-departmental effort,” the official said.