PEEVED over `unfair competition’ that they say poses a threat to the cinema industry, cinema owners have staged a shutdown of their theatres to bring their plight to the attention of the Government.

The three-day shutdown, which began on Wednesday, is in its final day today.

Cinema owners are demanding that the administration enact legislation to protect them from the on-going infringement of copyright laws by owners of television stations.

Ten cinemas are facing imminent closure. If this happens, they would join some 25 theatres across the coast that has closed their doors permanently over the last ten years.

Among the establishments reported to be under immediate threat are: Palm Tree, Linden; Vijay, Good Hope; Tiffany, Parika; Raj Mahal, Canje; Gem, Enmore and Regal at Vreed-en-Hoop.

Among those already out of business are Novelty, Corentyne, Radio City, Skeldon; Apollo, Rose Hall; Strand, New Amsterdam; Kaydonna, Beterverwagting; Liberty, Georgetown; Starlite, Pouderoyen; Monarch, Anna Catherina; Atlantis, Essequibo Coast; Mohani, Corentyne and the Melanie Damishana Cinema.

If the remaining cinemas are forced into closure, some 70 persons will be facing the breadline.

Cinema owners blame the situation on:- the blatant piracy by local television stations of films released in the United States; the activities of bootleggers, which continue unabated; the mushrooming of overnight parlours, and the unlicensed ‘bottom house’ video clubs.

All these operations exist to the detriment of licensed cinemas, which must conform to the codes of the Cinema Censorship Board.

Director of Global Films, Mr Muntaz Ali, whose company staged a protest action outside the New Garden Street entrance of the Office of the President two days last week, has complained about the heavy costs cinemas are compelled to bear even though they face unfair competition from their rivals.

The situation, he said, makes it virtually impossible for them to remain in business.

The cinema owners complain that the downturn in business has resulted in some theatres staging only one show per day, instead of the initial three shows.

The lone show, held at night, sometimes attracts only about 15 patrons, and, according to Secretary of the Film Distributors Association, Mr. Dilip Singh, what used to be 14 to 18 shows per week, is now reduced to five.

The cost of a ticket is only $200.

Singh, who also owns the Plaza on Camp Street, is of the view that cinema owners cannot continue to operate under this kind of lawlessness. He cited instances where cinemas advertise for shows on particular dates, only to find the that television houses deliberately and blatantly show the film, if not simultaneously with the cinema, a day or days before.

He argued that when this happens, people no longer want to pay to view the show because they would have already seen it on television.

Also, the cinemas are compelled to having their movies censored by the Cinematographic Board, for which they have to pay between $13,000 and $20,000 per film.