Sri Lanka will have its first Cinema 'Multiplex' when it opens in December in Colombo. This will provide the country's cinema goers the opportunity of choosing a film according to his or her liking from several motion pictures shown under one roof.

The 'CineCity Multiplex', built in the vicinity of the Elphinston Theatre in Maradana, will consist of four cinema halls, two restaurants or cafeterias, snooker and other entertainment facilities, an office complex, shops and a banking hall.

Film Lanka Ltd, the initiator of this project, started building this complex in 1994 on a concept of the late President R. Premadasa and a subsequent proposal forwarded by the Urban Development Authority and the Tower Hall Foundation, after obtaining land through a competitive tender process. Film Lanka had estimated Rs. 116 million for this project.

The company faced many obstacles, impediments and difficulties in making this effort a success. However, its Director Board with its founder, Dr. Buddhi Keerthisena, the veteran film producer and Chairman, Vishwanath Buddhika Keerthisena succeeded in overcoming these difficulties after an eight-year struggle.

Now 50 per cent of the construction work of CineCity Multiplex is complete.

According to Dr. Buddhi Keerthisena, thanks are due in this regard to Martin Fernando, Executive Deputy General Manager of People's Bank and Tissa Abeyesekera, who became Chairman of the National Film Corporation (NFC) in 1999. Prior to that, the Film Corporation's treatment of this project had been step-motherly.

Mr Abeyesekera gave the maximum assistance to make CineCity Multiplex a reality, he added.

The remaining work of the project is being carried out with the support of the present Chairman of the Film Corporation, Jayantha Dharmadasa.

The CineCity Multiplex is to be completed in two stages.

The first, which will be opened in December, will have two cinema halls, a restaurant, shops, a snooker hall and space for a bank branch. Parking facilities are also planned for 50 vehicles.

The second stage, which is to be completed in May 2003, will see two more cinema halls on the third floor, a restaurant or cafeteria, an office complex and a video production section.

The air-conditioned cinema halls will be provided with all facilities, keeping with modern world trends.

The seating capacity of the halls are 350, 300, 180 and 100. Seats specially designed for cinema halls will be imported.

Three out of the four cinemas will screen high quality foreign films, which are not normally imported by the NFC or any other Oscar distributor.

The project, when completed, will be a fascinating experience to Sri Lanka's film goers as well as to other exhibitors, Dr Keerthisena, the adviser to the project, said.