New industry law means promising future for Chinese film
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E-mail Xinhua, March 17, 2017
Cultural confidence
Zhang said that the law also plays a role in promoting Chinese movie exports to extend visibility and impact overseas.
Zhang was echoed by La Peikang, chairman of China Film Co., Ltd., who said that China should promote more movies overseas that tell Chinese stories.
La also emphasized "cultural confidence", telling good Chinese stories, attracting audience and ensuring the sustainable development of the film industry through regulation.
Although box office revenues account for just a small portion of China's GDP, Yin said, movies have immeasurable value for its national image, tourism, advertising, fashion and international trade.
Yin added that starting from World War I, films have been part of the development strategy of the United States. China's new law protects intellectual property and encourages film-related merchandise and licensing. These gestures "reflect the important role of movies in China's overall development strategy," said Yin.
Revenues and praise
Quality movies cannot be made crudely for quick profits, said Yu Dong, CEO of Bona Film Group. Instead, quality movies are the result of cultural confidence and the spirit of craftsmanship, he continued.
Yu cited Taking of Tiger Mountain, an action movie about a real-life Chinese undercover agent in northeast China after World War II. "It brought in both box office revenues and public praise," said Yu.
In addition to high-quality movies, La pointed out the need to address problems such as fabricating box office earnings.
"The film industry law shoots the arrow at these areas in legal form and will bring more order and prosperity to the industry," said La.
China's box office revenues have been increasing at 30 percent for almost ten years. The slowing growth rate last year has spurred extensive concerns. However, Zhang disagreed that this suggests an inflexion point.
In order to protect film workers, China needs to establish a system in which good movies get good returns, said Yu.
The law specifies that people working in the film industry must strive for "excellence in both professional skills and moral integrity," maintain self-discipline and create a positive public image.
Ning Hao, a director and scriptwriter, suggested a sense of honor for film workers to complement current market standards.
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