One remarkable trend is Chinese film studios are seeking more opportunities to co-produce movies with their overseas counterparts, said Xue Guizhi, vice-president of the China Film Co-production Corporation.

Xue said the corporation, authorized by the Chinese Government to approve, supervise and assist in the making of all films that involve overseas production companies, has fielded 15 applications from Australia, France, South Korea, Japan, the Czech Republic and the United States so far this year.

Since it was founded in 1979, the corporation has co-produced at least 400 films with companies from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and many others. Most recently, the corporation co-produced "Kill Bill" from the United States and also participated in the production of Hong Kong blockbuster "The Touch."

Xue defines co-production as looking at a storyline with a Chinese background, Chinese characters and concepts. That will have joint investment between the corporation, at least one State-run film studio and overseas film production companies and be shot by a mixed crew.

For co-production, the script can either be co-written by Chinese film studios and their overseas partners or supplied solely by overseas companies.

Chinese studios and overseas companies either co-invest in the movie or an overseas company hires its own core crew members and the Chinese provides sets, assistant production members and extra performers for a marginal sum.

A project manager is appointed by the corporation to help coordinate between the Chinese and overseas interests and supervise the filmmaking process.

Xue said film co-productions will not damage the interests or image of China or any other country.

"Shooting films in China benefits all parties involved. It allows overseas companies to get films done at very low costs, offers Chinese filmmakers chances to learn from their overseas counterparts and helps promote Chinese culture and boost the Chinese tourist market," Xue said.

On the subject of the recent Revitalizing Hong Kong Film Industry Forum and the decline of the Hong Kong film industry, Xue said: "Films co-produced by mainland studios and film companies from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are treated as 'domestic films' instead of 'imported films.' Filmmaking communities from these areas might well take advantage of this policy to strengthen their presence on the mainland."

(China Daily September 23, 2002)