| Year |
Event |
|
| 1897 |
M.Edwards
screened the first ever movie show in South India
at Victoria Public Hall,Chennai. |
| 1900 |
Electric Theatre-the first ever
cinema house in South India was built by Major
Warwick on Anna Salai,Chennai. |
| 1902 |
Lyric-the
second cinema house in chennai was started by
Cohen at Anna- Salai |
| 1905 |
Edison's Cinematography-the first
touring cinema in South India was formed by
Swamikannu Vincent.He traveled around showing
short films like Life Of Jesus Christ. |
| 1907 |
T.H.Huffton
produced a few shorts,and exhibited them at
the Electric Theatre |
| 1911 |
The coronation of King George V
on 11 November 1911 was shot by Marudappa
Moopanar,and later he screened it in Chennai |
| 1914 |
Gaiety-the
first Indian owned cinema house in South India
was built by R.Venkiah.This still continues to
screen movies in the same spot |
| 1916 |
S.M.Dharmalingam Mudaliyar and
Nataraja Mudaliyar started the first film
producing concern in South India at
Chennai.Nataraja Mudaliyar made Keechavathanam
the first feature film to be made in South India. |
| 1918 |
Pre-censorship
of films was introduced through the Indian
Cinematography Act of 1918. |
| 1927 |
Movie Mirror,the first film journal
of South India was started.It was a monthly
and S.K.Vasagam was the editor. |
| 1927 |
Exhibitor
Film Services the first distributing concern in
South India was started
by A.Narayanan. |
| 1929 |
With the formation of General
Pictures Corporation in Chennai,cinema emerges as
an entertainment industry in South India. |
| 1929 |
The Madras
Film league ,a precursor of the South India Film
Chamber Of Commerce is formed with Veeranki Rama
Rao and V.Sunderesan as secretaries. |
| 1931 |
Kalidas, the first Tami talkie was
screened.It was directed by H.M.Reddy and
T.P.Rajalakshmi played the lead role. |
| 1934 |
Srinivasa
Cinetone, the first sound studio in South
India was started by A.Narayanan. |
| 1934 |
Srinivasa Kalyanam,the first Tamil
talkie to be made in South India was released ,it
was directed by A.Narayanan. |
| 1935 |
Sundarabharathi
Studio,the first studio outside Chennai was built
at Sathuvacheri,Vellore by Vajravelu. |
| 1935 |
The birth of Stardom.K.B.Sundarambal
received rupees one lakh as salary for playing
the lead role in the film Nandanar.It was
produced by Asandas Classical Talkies |
| 1935 |
Kausalya,the
first Tamil movie on contemporary theme was made
by South India Film Corporation. |
| 1935 |
Cinema Ulagam,the first Tamil film
journal was launched.It was edited and published
by P.S.Chettiar. |
| 1936 |
Modern
theatres,the oldest studio in South India was
established at Selam. |
| 1936 |
Miss.Kamala,the first Tamil talkie
to be directed by a woman, T.P.Rajalakshmi was
released. |
| 1937 |
Chinthamani,
the first Tamil film to run for more than a
year in a single cinema house was released. |
| 1939 |
Premsagar, the first Hindi film made
in South India was produced and directed by
K.Subrahmanyam. |
| 1939 |
The South
India Film Chamber of Commerce comes into being
in Chennai, with S.Satyamurthi as the first
president. |
| 1940 |
D.K.Pattamal,sang the first play
back song for the long documentary
Mahatma Gandhi by
A.K.Chettiar. |
| 1940 |
The Cine
Technicians Association of South India was
formed by K.Ramanth. |
| 1943 |
Harishchandra(Tamil),was dubbed into
Kannada by A.V.Meyyappa Chettiar thus becoming
the first dubbed film in South India. |
| 1944 |
The film
Haridas played continuously for 110 weeks in
Broadway talkies, Chennai |
| 1951 |
K.B.Sundarmbal,the first film
artiste to enter the legislature, is nominated to
the Madras Legislative Council. |
| 1952 |
India's
first International Film Festival was
organised in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta
. |
| 1952
|
The Jungle, the first English movie
to be produced in South India was produced by
Modern Theatres, with Cesar Romero, Rod
Cameron and Mary Windsor in the cast. |
| 1954 |
Andha Naal,
the first Tamil film without any song was
released. |
| 1955 |
Kanavanne Kan Kanda Deivam, the
first Tamil film to have some sequences in Geva
colour, was released. |
| 1955 |
Alibabhavum
Narpathu Thirudargalum, the first full-length
colour film was produced Modern Theatres. |
| 1956 |
The Madras Film Society was formed
by Ammu Swaminathan and
Rajammal Anantaraman. |
| 1959 |
Tamizh
Nadigar Sangam, an association of film artistes
is founded by K.Subrahmanyam |
| 1960 |
The Institute of Film Technology
started in Adyar,Chennai. |
| 1967 |
M.G.Ramachandran,
film star wins an election from Parangimalai
constituency
in Chennai. |
| 1973 |
The first cinemascope film in Tamil
Rajarajacholan was made |
| 1985 |
The first
3D film in Tamil Annai Bhoomi is made |
| 1986 |
The first 70mm Tamil film Maveeran
was released |
|
