For the movie producers, finding a cinema hall to screen their movies is one of the major challenges. Bhutanese film industry produces more than 20 films a year. The producers spend three to four months to produce a movie. With just three movie theaters in the capital, it takes almost a year to screen their movies in these theaters.
Actor Producer, Lhamo Dukpa, said they have been facing an acute shortage of theaters after Royal Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA) stopped allowing them to screen their movies in RAPA hall.
Film Producer Director, Karma Deki, said on an average the film industry produces two to three movies a month and finding a theater to accommodate these films is difficult.
But not anymore. Two more theaters, Dee Pee Cinemax and City Cinema, both on the top floor of the City Mall in Chubachu, Thimphu have come up. Each theater has more than 220 seats. Information and communications minister, Nanda Lal Rai inaugurated the cinema halls today.
The new theater owners said they have invested more than Nu.3 million each for the cinema halls. Dechen Pem of Dee Pee Cinemax said the halls are equipped with best facilities including the sound system. “We are expecting the elite group of people to come and watch Bhutanese movies.”
Sherab Gyeltshen of City Cinema said the two halls will cater to the elite group of people, tourists and residents of international agencies.
As part of the opening, a short film on Dochula Druk Wangyel festival was screened. The two cinema halls will be screening movies from tonight. Currently they will be screening only Bhutanese movies. However, the theaters owners said if there are demands from the people, they will be looking into screening foreign films in future.
The capital city now has six cinema halls including Lugar theater, Trowa theater and Ninda Bioscope.
