According to a joint statement issued by the Tamil Film Producers Council and the Tamil Film Active Producers Association, there will be no new Tamil films releases in theatres from September 1. The statement adds that shooting and post-production work will also be stopped from September 1.
This decision comes over disagreements with the Tamil Nadu distributors and theatres about the release of films on OTT platforms.
According to the producers, the Tamil Nadu Theatre Distributors Association and Theatre Owners Association are demanding an eight-week window post-theatrical release and have taken a decision not to give any advance payments for new Tamil films.
The producers alleged that this was a unilateral decision and no discussions on this were held with them.
Currently, Tamil films are released on OTT platforms after a four-week window post-theatrical release. The OTT release window debate has been ongoing for several years now but there has been no resolution so far.
The statement from the Tamil Film Producers Council (TNPC) and the Tamil Film Active Producers Association issued on August 22 states, “The Tamil Nadu Theatre Distributors Association and Theatre Owners Association have jointly decided that from September 1st onwards, new Tamil films should be released on OTT after 8 weeks of theatrical release. They have also decided not to give any advance amount for new films. Furthermore, this decision of theirs has not been discussed with the Tamil Film Producers Council, Active Producers Association, or other associations in the industry. Therefore, when such a decision is taken, the Producers Council has decided not to release new films.
However, we inform you that the Producers Council cannot accept this decision taken unilaterally by the Distributors Association and the Theatre Owners Association without consulting the producers…
Therefore, on behalf of the Distributors Association and Tamil Nadu Theatre Owners Association, they have decided that from September 1, 2026, onwards, no new Tamil films will be released in theatres, and shooting and post-production work related to Tamil films will also be stopped.” TNPC Vice President S Kamalakkannan and Secretaries S Kathiresan and R Radhakrishnan issued the statement on behalf of the organisations.
The statement further adds that producers are also facing financial issues noting that the Tamil film industry releases 250 films a year. The Tamil Film Producers Council and the Tamil Film Active Producers Association state that many producers will find it difficult to finish and release their films in a timely manner if they do not receive advance payments from distributors which has been the norm for decades. The decision by the distributors and exhibitors to not give advance payments will be a big blow to production is their contention.
If the Tamil film industry shuts down from September 1 and no new Tamil films are released, it could cause financial stress for many producers who currently have projects on floors. The Tamil Film Producers Council and the Tamil Film Active Producers Association also added that they want the Tamil Nadu government to intervene and resolve this issue. The statement read, “We request the Tamil Nadu Government to intervene and find a solution to this issue, considering that this problem affects the livelihood of thousands of workers in the Tamil film industry.”
