Mar 01, Colombo: Colombo Chief District Judge Amal Ranaraja yesterday lifted an enjoining order against Sri Lanka Film Corporation restricting the number of film copies issued for screening.

Five petitioners including E.A.P. Films Company had filed a petition against the Chairman of Sri Lanka Film Corporation Ashoka Serasinghe against limiting the number of film copies issued for screening to 35 maximum.

Sri Lanka Film Corporation which governs the distribution and screening of films in the island, issued a circular in December restricting the number of copies of films issued for screening by producers. The regulation was to be implemented from January 1.

However, the film producers argued that the restriction will prevent the spectators in rural areas viewing the new films in the first round.

They pointed out that massive movie productions cannot even cover the costs due to the measure limiting the distribution.

The Chairman argued that when a popular film is shown in a large number of movie theaters, the other producers cannot find halls to show their movies.