MUMBAI: Dan Glickman delivered his final major US address as chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) at the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas.
Glickman said, “I got my Hollywood ending, if I could leave this community with one piece of advice it is never forget our power to change people‘s lives and, in doing so, to change the world.”
Glickman began by touting recent news that the 2009 box office saw a return to growth in US admissions, reversing a two-year trend. “We have more people going to the movies and more folks going more often. The quality and diversity of films is what keeps folks coming back. Add this powerful new 3D era, and I predict the best is yet to come at the box office.” Glickman said.
Reflecting on his time at the MPAA, Glickman touched on four defining areas:
Globalization: He discussed the transformation of the MPAA into a truly global organization, fueled by both the growing importance of international markets and the rising challenge of protecting intellectual property rights around the world. Noting that the global box office has soared 30% since 2005, Glickman pointed out that movies are among the only American exports with a positive balance of trade around the world.
Technology: Glickman heralded the new era of 3-D and what it is doing to bring more people back to the theater. He also spoke openly of the challenge of racing to adapt to a fast- moving digital age and predicted that “technology will help resolve these issues in a balanced and fair way, while opening new opportunities for creators to share their works with the world.”
Content Protection: Glickman spoke with pride about a unique creative community that supports more than 2.4 million American jobs. He noted that “Hollywood can be found in every state in our union today,” and pointed to the passage of the Pro-IP Act in Washington, camcording laws in more than 40 states and growing global consensus as laying a strong foundation for protecting intellectual property at the dawn of the digital age.
Ratings: He spoke about the enduring value of the ratings system as a valued tool for parents. He also urged the industry to welcome the diverse voices joining online conversations on film content. “We‘ll never find a bright white line at the intersection of free speech, creative and political expression and how parents raise their kids. We should continue to examine ways to keep the system relevant and contemporary,” he said.
