Sustainability of the Bangladeshi Film Industry: A Study on Pricing, Revenue Generation and Revenue Sharing Mechanisms

Film production is a high-risk investment where financial uncertainty usually discourages new investment. Producers, distributors and exhibitors all play important roles in the financial process that occurs from film production to post-screening. This study aims to examine the pricing process of films in Bangladesh and its impact on revenue generation while analyzing the existing revenue-sharing system and its effects on producers, distributors, and exhibitors. It also seeks to identify the challenges faced by film producers in recovering investments and generating profits, and propose a sustainable and transparent revenue-sharing framework for the industry. This study has taken interpretive stance and followed a qualitative approach. Also, it has examined the literature as a secondary source of data as well as an in-depth interview method for primary data collection. Bangladeshi film industry faces noteworthy problems in revenue generation and sharing due to a lack of transparency, an obsolete system and immoral practices. Though new revenue streams like OTT platforms, music rights and film exports have emerged, issues like under-reported ticket sales, unfair revenue sharing agreements and cash-based transactions have hampered the progress of Bangladesh’s film industry.