MUMBAI: Zee Marathi will premiere the 2004 Oscar entry Shwaas on 29 October. Zee Marathi had supported Shwaas' campaign when the Marathi language movie represented India in the 77th Academy Awards.

"Zee Marathi will premiere the movie in the Mahaa Cinema slot. But the status of the movie is beyond this slot and we are making all efforts to make it a big event. We have conceptualised the occasion as a celebration of the Marathi film talent", says a Zee Marathi executive, adding that the channel is planning major activities around the movie.

Shwaas, a low-budget language movie directed by Sandeep Sawant, had also been the recipient of the president's prestigious Golden Lotus award in 2004. The child artiste Ashwin Chitale, who played a boy on the verge of losing his vision, had also earned a national Award for his sterling performance.

Zee Marathi unveiled the Mahaa Cinema slot in August 2005 to telecast popular Marathi movies. The opening movie was Saat Chya Aat Gharat while Phatakdi was premiered in September.

Last year, Zee Telefilms CMD Subhash Chandra had committed financial assistance to the ailing Marathi film industry through activities such as providing marketing support. Valued at Rs 100 million, the Marathi film industry churns out about 20 films per year on an average. According to industry sources, the film industry is now doing better as compared to the past years with more and more filmmakers starting to show their inclination to experiment.