Global Cinema Record: Implications for Sri Lanka’s Creative Economy 📈

The global film industry marks a historic milestone as the horror film Sinners secures a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations, signaling a robust era for high-production content with potential ripple effects for Sri Lanka's emerging ICT/BPM and creative services. • Market Impact & Performance: Sinners broke the previous 14-nomination record, outperforming its closest competitor, which holds 13 nominations. This surge in high-value global production aligns with Sri Lanka’s 2025-2026 push to modernize its cinema industry, currently valued at approximately Rs. 10 Bn. The domestic box office showed strong recovery in 1H 2025, reaching Rs. 1.5 Bn, a massive leap from just Rs. 7 Mn in early 2024. • Sectoral Context (Creative & Digital): ICT/BPM and Creative Services: Increased global demand for high-end content supports Sri Lanka's strategy to move beyond service-outsourcing to original IP, such as the country's first 2026 global animated feature release. Service Exports: The ICT/BPM sector grew by 26.71% in late 2025, generating US$ 154.50 Mn monthly, highlighting the potential for Sri Lanka to capture more VFX and post-production contracts. • Key Outlook: The 2026 Budget aims for 7% GDP growth, focusing on digitalization and export diversification. Industry stakeholders are advocating for the removal of import quotas on foreign films to utilize the US$ 30 Mn+ (Rs. 10 Bn) invested in modern 4K and IMAX multiplexes.