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A law promoting China’s film industry， first drafted 12 years ago， is now one step closer to being enacted， after the National People’s Congress （NPC）， China’s top legislature， finished soliciting opinions from the public on its draft on December 5.
“The law represents the importance attached by the government to the film industry and meets the demand of various parties，”said Zhou Xing， Dean of the School of Art and Communication at Beijing Normal University.
This year， the Chinese film industry celebrates its 110th anniversary. The industry has experienced rapid growth since market-oriented reforms were initiated in the early 2000s. The box office revenue and number of tickets sold have registered exponential growth in recent years， making China the second largest film market in the world， according to the State Administration of Press， Publication， Radio， Film and Television.
Statistics from the administration show in the first three quarters of this year the box office on the Chinese mainland surpassed 33 billion yuan （$5.16 billion）， more than the total of last year， with domestic films accounting for 60 percent. The number of movie screens has increased from fewer than 2，000 in 2002 to 31，000， nearly 80 percent of which can be used to screen 3D movies.
Stronger support
Although regulations governing the film industry have been in effect since 2002， there was an absence of a full-fledged law.
The recent breakthroughs in the lawmaking process have won loud applause from filmmak- ers. “One of the most prominent implications is that filmmakers will finally have a law to follow，”said Liang Ming， a film director and professor with the Communication University of China.
There used to be so much unpredictability in the administration of the film industry， Liang said， adding that the new law will regulate the behavior of those involved in the industry in- cluding the government and help create a fairer and more open market.
As a deputy to the NPC， director Hu Mei has long called for legislation for the film industry and was present at a recent NPC Standing Committee review session on the draft ruling.
In Hu’s view， the law is highly relevant， partly because it will establish guidelines for filmmak-ing involving foreign parties. The draft law allows foreign companies and other organizations to shoot movies in China in collaboration with their Chinese counterparts， while banning them from doing so independently. The draft consists of six chapters and 58 clauses and includes detailed stipulations on film creation， distribution， release and screening. The aim of the law is stated in the first clause， which is to promote the development of the film industry， enrich people’s cultural life and improve their moral standards and knowledge. The law will offer increased support to the film industry by calling for the adoption of incentives regarding financing， taxation and talent.
“The government should include the film industry into its overall social and economic development plans and increase spending on this sector，” said Cai Fuchao， head of the State Administration of Press， Publication， Radio， Film and Television. “It should promote the development of the industry by offering tax cuts， encouraging financial institutions to fund the industry， guaranteeing land use for filmmaking purposes and increasing overseas promotion of domestic films.”
In terms of financial support， the draft mandate says that the state encourages financial institutions to provide financing services for filmmaking activities as well as the improvement of the infrastructure used for making films. In addition， it calls on insurance institutions to develop products tailored to the film industry.
“The new law will boost investment in the film industry. Only with more investment can we have the opportunity to compete with big- budget productions across the world，” said Wei Pengju， a professor with the Central University of Finance and Economics.
Greater freedom
Another highlight of the new law is the streamlined administration of the film industry. In order to encourage more companies and individuals to enter the film market， it simplifies the application procedures for shooting films. According to the draft， filmmakers can go ahead as long as they have adequate funding and personnel and get approval from the provincial film authorities.
“Encouraging companies not engaged in the film business and individuals to make films represents the strong determination of the government to boost the film industry，” said film critic Yu Yong.
When making films on general subjects， filmmakers will no longer be required to have their scripts examined by the authorities. According to the draft， they will only need to submit synopses to the governing body for record-keeping purposes.
The draft law expands the freedom of film production and is expected to help improve the quality of domestically produced films， said Yin Hong， Deputy Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University. Movies， however， must undergo an examination process before gaining a license for public screening. “Examination of films should follow transparent rules and be based on experts’evaluations. Only by involving experts in film examination will our filmmaking ability and the thoughtfulness of China’s films be improved，”said Fu Ying， Chairwoman of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee.
The highly anticipated movie rating system gets no mention in the draft law. Movie ratings provide parents with advance information about the content of movies to help them determine what movies are appropriate for their children. Zhou said it takes time for the movie rating system to be accepted by society and the system will be gradually established with the development of the domestic film industry.
The draft stipulates punishments for box office fraud. Currently， the box office revenue of a domestic film is shared by producers and cinemas， with the former sharing no less than 43 percent and the latter no more than 50 percent. However， the proportion varies among films， according to the specific contracts signed between producers and theaters.
The theaters would transfer the box office revenue of films from which they get a smaller share to those that they get a greater share in order to reap more profits， according to CNR.cn. Fraudulently increasing the box office revenue for certain films will inevitably affect the judgment of the audience in choosing films.
The development of the Chinese film market is still at a nascent stage， said Rao Shuguang， Secretary General of the China Film Association. At a time when all kinds of problems are haunting the industry， strengthened legislation is necessary to guarantee the legitimate interests of all those involved， Rao added.
“The law represents the importance attached by the government to the film industry and meets the demand of various parties，”said Zhou Xing， Dean of the School of Art and Communication at Beijing Normal University.
This year， the Chinese film industry celebrates its 110th anniversary. The industry has experienced rapid growth since market-oriented reforms were initiated in the early 2000s. The box office revenue and number of tickets sold have registered exponential growth in recent years， making China the second largest film market in the world， according to the State Administration of Press， Publication， Radio， Film and Television.
Statistics from the administration show in the first three quarters of this year the box office on the Chinese mainland surpassed 33 billion yuan （$5.16 billion）， more than the total of last year， with domestic films accounting for 60 percent. The number of movie screens has increased from fewer than 2，000 in 2002 to 31，000， nearly 80 percent of which can be used to screen 3D movies.
Stronger support
Although regulations governing the film industry have been in effect since 2002， there was an absence of a full-fledged law.
The recent breakthroughs in the lawmaking process have won loud applause from filmmak- ers. “One of the most prominent implications is that filmmakers will finally have a law to follow，”said Liang Ming， a film director and professor with the Communication University of China.
There used to be so much unpredictability in the administration of the film industry， Liang said， adding that the new law will regulate the behavior of those involved in the industry in- cluding the government and help create a fairer and more open market.
As a deputy to the NPC， director Hu Mei has long called for legislation for the film industry and was present at a recent NPC Standing Committee review session on the draft ruling.
In Hu’s view， the law is highly relevant， partly because it will establish guidelines for filmmak-ing involving foreign parties. The draft law allows foreign companies and other organizations to shoot movies in China in collaboration with their Chinese counterparts， while banning them from doing so independently. The draft consists of six chapters and 58 clauses and includes detailed stipulations on film creation， distribution， release and screening. The aim of the law is stated in the first clause， which is to promote the development of the film industry， enrich people’s cultural life and improve their moral standards and knowledge. The law will offer increased support to the film industry by calling for the adoption of incentives regarding financing， taxation and talent.
“The government should include the film industry into its overall social and economic development plans and increase spending on this sector，” said Cai Fuchao， head of the State Administration of Press， Publication， Radio， Film and Television. “It should promote the development of the industry by offering tax cuts， encouraging financial institutions to fund the industry， guaranteeing land use for filmmaking purposes and increasing overseas promotion of domestic films.”
In terms of financial support， the draft mandate says that the state encourages financial institutions to provide financing services for filmmaking activities as well as the improvement of the infrastructure used for making films. In addition， it calls on insurance institutions to develop products tailored to the film industry.
“The new law will boost investment in the film industry. Only with more investment can we have the opportunity to compete with big- budget productions across the world，” said Wei Pengju， a professor with the Central University of Finance and Economics.
Greater freedom
Another highlight of the new law is the streamlined administration of the film industry. In order to encourage more companies and individuals to enter the film market， it simplifies the application procedures for shooting films. According to the draft， filmmakers can go ahead as long as they have adequate funding and personnel and get approval from the provincial film authorities.
“Encouraging companies not engaged in the film business and individuals to make films represents the strong determination of the government to boost the film industry，” said film critic Yu Yong.
When making films on general subjects， filmmakers will no longer be required to have their scripts examined by the authorities. According to the draft， they will only need to submit synopses to the governing body for record-keeping purposes.
The draft law expands the freedom of film production and is expected to help improve the quality of domestically produced films， said Yin Hong， Deputy Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University. Movies， however， must undergo an examination process before gaining a license for public screening. “Examination of films should follow transparent rules and be based on experts’evaluations. Only by involving experts in film examination will our filmmaking ability and the thoughtfulness of China’s films be improved，”said Fu Ying， Chairwoman of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee.
The highly anticipated movie rating system gets no mention in the draft law. Movie ratings provide parents with advance information about the content of movies to help them determine what movies are appropriate for their children. Zhou said it takes time for the movie rating system to be accepted by society and the system will be gradually established with the development of the domestic film industry.
The draft stipulates punishments for box office fraud. Currently， the box office revenue of a domestic film is shared by producers and cinemas， with the former sharing no less than 43 percent and the latter no more than 50 percent. However， the proportion varies among films， according to the specific contracts signed between producers and theaters.
The theaters would transfer the box office revenue of films from which they get a smaller share to those that they get a greater share in order to reap more profits， according to CNR.cn. Fraudulently increasing the box office revenue for certain films will inevitably affect the judgment of the audience in choosing films.
The development of the Chinese film market is still at a nascent stage， said Rao Shuguang， Secretary General of the China Film Association. At a time when all kinds of problems are haunting the industry， strengthened legislation is necessary to guarantee the legitimate interests of all those involved， Rao added.