Kerala to launch India’s first state-owned OTT platform
New Delhi: The Indian state of Kerala will launch India’s first state-owned over-the-top (OTT) platform, CSpace, on November 01, 2022. The OTT platform will offer feature films, short films, and documentaries.
The Cultural Affairs minister Saji Cheriyan revealed the name CSpace through video conference at a function held at the Kalabhavan Theatre. The platform is an initiative of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) on behalf of the state government.
The KSFDC chairman Shaji N Karun presided over the function. Talking about the first-of-its-kind initiative, Cheriyan said that the launch of a state-owned OTT will mark a new beginning and considerably help in growth of the Malayalam cinema.
Assuring the platform does not create a crisis for the film industry, Cheriyan said that films will be streamed on CSpace only after their theatrical release. “CSpace ensures profit sharing, transparency and high-end technical quality,” he added.
Saji Cheriyan also said that the OTT platform will showcase films with artistic value, irrespective of their performance at the box office, along with internationally-recognised and award-winning films, best films screened at the annual International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), short films, and documentaries.
The launch will coincide with Kerala’s formation day on November 1. However, the registration of films for the OTT platform will begin from June 01, 2022, at the Chitranjali Studio and the KSFDC head office in the state capital.
KSFDC Managing Director, N. Maya said, “Unlike certain other OTT platforms, CSpace gives the facility to watch a particular film by paying for it alone. One part of the amount given for the film by the viewer will go to the producer, who will get his share whenever viewers watch that film.”
“CSpace assures transparency and it ensures that the producers or their families will get a long-lasting income like a pension on their intellectual property. Kerala has set a model for other states through the launch of its own OTT platform,” Shaji N Karun said.
(Avya Mathur)
