Sri Lanka and South America, linked by the Indian Ocean since time immemorial, will now have a lot more in common than geography through the joint movie/documentary co-production and audiovisual exchange.
The Asociación Latinoamericana de Comunicación Audiovisual Parlamentaria , ALCAP, or the Latin American Parliamentary Association of Audiovisual Communication, signed an MOU with TTV Media Hub of Sri Lanka so that bridges between Sri Lanka and South America can be diversified and strengthened via enhanced Audiovisual exchange and Joint Movie Production.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between ALCAP and TTV Media Hub was facilitated by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S., Special Advisor Asia and Africa, who convinced TTV Media Hub to be part of “Documentaries for Development,” a concept developed by him which has a special relevance for the Global South.
MoU
The MoU was signed by Bandula Vithanarachchi, Chairman and Managing Director of the TTV Media Hub, Sri Lanka and Dr. Marcelo E. Decoud, General Regional Director of the Regional Hub of ALCAP.
TTV Media Hub is among the leading media organisations in Sri Lanka headed by Bandula Vithanarachchi who is a renowned entrepreneur and socio-economic innovator par excellence not only in the country but also in the sub-continent.
The media outfit focuses on entertainment, performance arts, new media arts, live broadcasting, television, film, photo-shoots along with video production and editing services.
TTV Media Hub has a fully equipped, state-of the-art production studio, professional production facilities, an in-house production team and the technical staff to bring all forms of film production to life. TTV Media Hub on behalf of ALCAP in Sri Lanka will interact with the relevant government ministry and departments and other organisations for joint movie/documentary productions and audiovisual exchange programs.
The medium of audiovisual exchange, particularly joint movie production, is becoming an important strategic tool in the sphere of international relations and foreign policy.
For instance, on March 31, 2021, ALCAP signed an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Government of Ukraine about the documentary production ‘Ukrainian Hearts’, which is about the Ukrainian community in Paraguay. This documentary will be broadcast on Public Television in Ukraine and on 22 Regional TV networks across the South American countries.
Film industry
Earlier in the month, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan signed its second-ever international audio visual co-production agreement with Belgium to expand the film industry in Jordan, where iconic films such as Lawrence of Arabia, the Martian, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker were filmed.
In the backdrop of solving complex and evolving challenges, Audio-visual exchange in general and Joint Movie Production in particular can be a potent medium to enhance international cooperation and exchange of ideas towards building a better world, and to provide a catalyst for concerted action and help make a positive difference in people’s lives and for the planet.
It has been a crucial denominator in various international institutional agreements such as the SAARC Audio Visual Exchange (SAVE) program, which is one of the original areas agreed upon at the inception of the SAARC in 1986.
Sri Lanka is an active member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the current secretary general of the organisation of which, is helmed by Esala Ruwan Weerakoon.
The MOU between ALCAP and TTV Media Hub will herald the dissemination of knowledge and information about the rich culture and traditions both within their parliamentary fraternities and among their peoples with the additional benefit of cultural exchanges and free flow of ideas and opportunities for trade, training and academic research in the post-Covid scenario.