Bangalore: The Karnataka Government-brokered talks to break the prolonged impasse over the seven-week moratorium on release of non-Kannada films today (Oct 18, 2004) did not make much headway.

After a marathon meeting presided over by Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the film industry representatives who were pinning their hopes on today's talks had to return empty handed with the discussion remaining inconclusive.

The talks with different sections of the industry "remained inconclusive and will continue for another couple of days with the Deputy Chief Minister holding separate meetings with various sections," official sources said.

President of the Karnataka Exhibitors Federation, Oudugowder later talking to reporters said, "though the producers' wing appealed to us not to go ahead with the release of non-kannada films despite the Supreme Court stay on the moratorium, we have not committed anything."

"We have to talk to our exhibitor friends and also wait for the outcome of the talks before deciding anything," he said.

However, the Federation yesterday gave the green signal for screening of "award winning and experimental Kannada films" which have earlier not been shown due to lack of interest by distributors and theatre owners.

Today's meeting came in the backdrop of the Supreme Court stay last week on the moratorium, imposed by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, which has sharply divided the State film industry, with Kannada producers, artistes and directors ranged against the cinema theatre owners who have strongly opposed the moratorium.