New Delhi, Aug 31 (Agency) The Regional Office of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) hosted an interactive Conference here on the ‘Accessibility Guidelines’ notified by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on March 15, 2024. The Conference was held on Friday with various associations and trade bodies of Malayalam film industry at the Kerala Film Chamber Of Commerce Conference hall in Kochi. The Conference was aimed at addressing the implementation of accessibility standards for persons with hearing and visual impairment, in feature films for public exhibitions in cinema theatres. Various stakeholders including film producers, exhibitors, technological service providers and representatives from various organizations including Kerala Film Producers Association, Distributors’ Associations under Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce and FEFKA took part in the event.
The Regional Officer of CBFC Thiruvananthapuram, Nadeem Thufail T, made a detailed presentation on various aspects of the Accessibility Guidelines, the general practices followed in the technological arena worldwide for implementing the accessibility features and the implementation schedule. He, along with other participants, engaged in discussions centered on incorporating the mandatory accessibility features to ensure inclusivity for audiences with visual and auditory impairments to guide the transition towards a more accessible cinema. The discussions were followed by technical sessions which delved into practical steps and viable technologies for integrating audio descriptions, closed captions and other assistive formats into mainstream films. Film producers and exhibitors expressed their willingness to adopt the Guidelines and also informed their concerns regarding the financial implications of implementing the changes. President, Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce BR Jacob and Secretary Saji Nanthiyattu also addressed the gathering.