EAP Films

{{Infobox company

| name = EAP Films & Theatres

| logo =

| logo_size = 180px

| type = Subsidiary

| industry = Entertainment

| founded = {{Start date and age|1972}}

| founder = EAP Edirisinghe
Soma Edirisinghe

| revenue = {{Increase}} Rs 34.2 billion (2019)

| owner = Ben Holdings (since 2019)

| parent = EAP Holdings (1972-2019)
Ben Holdings (Lycamobile) (2019-present)

| subsid = Savoy Cinema

}}

EAP Films was originally founded as Edirisinghe Cinema Theatres in 1972. It has the largest share of the Sri Lanka theatre market with more than 15+ screens island-wide. It started producing films in 1994 and its first release was Dhawala Pushpaya (1994). The company has been listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange since the 2000s.{{Cite web|date=2015-11-05|title=Leading entrepreneur and philanthropist Soma Edirisinghe laid to rest|url=https://www.newsfirst.lk/2015/11/05/leading-entrepreneur-and-philanthropist-soma-edirisinghe-laid-to-rest/|access-date=2021-01-16|website=Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst|language=en}}

History

The company was founded by a husband-and-wife team in 1972 as Edirisinghe Cinema Theatres under its parent company, EAP Group. EAP acquired Savoy Cinema theatres in 1974. At first only Sinhala films were distributed, but during the mid-1980s a license for distribution of Hollywood movies was added.

Its theatres converted to digital in 2014. A cinema was built in Wellawatte.{{Cite web|title=EAP theatres to go digital with a 400 million Rs. investment {{!}} Daily FT|url=http://www.ft.lk/front-page/eap-theatres-to-go-digital-with-rs-400-m-investment/44-364157|access-date=2021-01-16|website=www.ft.lk|language=English}} EAP Film had their highest recorded bookings of 10,000 tickets for the 3D Tamil film 2.0.{{Cite web|url=http://bizenglish.adaderana.lk/2-0-is-on-a-record-breaking-start-with-eap-films-theatres-in-sri-lanka/ |title=2.0 is on a record-breaking start with EAP Films & Theatres in Sri Lanka |date=2018-12-03 |access-date=2021-01-16|website=bizenglish.adaderana.lk}} Sunil Ariyaratne's Vijayaba Kollaya, Gajaman was also screened in 3D.{{Cite web|title=Sunil Ariyaratne brings W.A. Silva’s ‘Vijayaba Kollaya’ to screen {{!}} Daily FT|url=http://www.ft.lk/columns/Sunil-Ariyaratne-brings-W-A--Silva-s--Vijayaba-Kollaya--to-screen/4-684901|access-date=2021-01-16|website=www.ft.lk|language=English}}

In 2015 Village Roadshow of Australia and EAP Group signed a partnership.{{Cite web|title=EAP Films books Australian giant for JV to promote modern cinema multiplexes {{!}} Daily FT|url=http://www.ft.lk/front-page/eap-films-books-australian-giant-for-jv-to-promote-modern-cinema-multiplexes/44-468149|access-date=2021-01-16|website=www.ft.lk|language=English}} In 2019, Ben Holdings acquired EAP Films for 12 billion Rs.{{Cite web|url=http://bizenglish.adaderana.lk/ben-holdingss-savoy-cinemas-secure-distribution-rights-of-dr-somaratna-disanayakas-upcoming-movie-tsunami/ |title=Ben Holdings’s Savoy Cinemas secure Distribution rights of Dr. Somaratna Disanayaka’s upcoming movie ‘Tsunami’ |date=2019-01-30 |access-date=2021-01-16|website=bizenglish.adaderana.lk}}

In 2019, EAP Broadcasting Company parent company EAP Holdings was acquired by Lyca Group. EAP Broadcasting Company is a subsidiary of Ben Holdings along with Lyca Productions.{{Cite web|date=2023-03-23 |title=Aliraja to buy state-owned shares in Telecom & Lanka Hospitals! |url=https://srilankamirror.com/biz/aliraja-to-buy-state-owned-shares-in-telecom-lanka-hospitals/ |access-date=2024-07-08 |language=en-US}}