'China's new film law to promote open censorship system'

China plans to promulgate a new law with clear guidelines to promote "open and transparent" censorship system, a senior Chinese official said today, as the country expands its links with Hollywood and Bollywood.
A new bill to promote China's movie industry, world's second largest box office market, will provide clearer lines for filmmakers, Fu Yinga spokesperson for the annual Chinese national legislature the National People's Congress (NPC) said.
There is a consensus among filmmakers and censors that there should be clearer lines for China's filmmaking and that the censorship system should be "open and transparent", Fu added.
Fu quoted the draft bill as saying that, in establishing specific criteria for movie censorship, opinions and suggestions must be sought from experts and other members of society.

The largely closed door Chinese film industry is undergoing transformation in the recent years with government permitting more foreign collaborations to expand its operations both at home and abroad.
After netting record USD 6.7 billion box office revenues in 2015, China's cinema industry made USD 1.05 billion in ticket sales in last month surpassing USD 810 million collections of North America for the first time ever, the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television said.

However, there were allegations that some of the theatre owners held empty shows projecting them as full houses to boost box office revenues.

Chinese film industry in the last two years started relaxing its rules forging collaborations with Hollywood and Bollywood film makers.
China only permits about 30 foreign films annually to be screened in the country.
Some of the Indian films like PK have done well in Chinese box office raking up highest collection of USD 16 million.
China and India have also signed a MOU to improve cooperation in the cinema industry and joint collaborations.