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The Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) would offer new opportunity for the local film industry, the Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Communications and Technology), Mr Francis Ho, said today (July 10) during the meeting of the Film Services Advisory Committee (FSAC).

"I hope our film industry will seize this huge market opportunity in the Mainland and bring in new vitality to our economy," Mr Ho said.

Members of the FSAC also welcomed the CEPA, saying that it would benefit both the industry and the local economy.

According to CEPA, Chinese language motion pictures produced by Hong Kong companies can be imported for distribution in the Mainland, not being subject to the quota of 20 foreign films per year as inscribed in China's World Trade Organisation commitments. Motion pictures co-produced with the Mainland will be treated as Mainland movies for distribution in the Mainland.

For motion pictures produced jointly by Hong Kong and the Mainland, the ceiling on the proportion of Hong Kong personnel is relaxed; with at least one-third of the leading artistes must be from the Mainland. The restriction that the story of the motion picture has to take place in the Mainland is removed, though the plots or leading characters must be related to the Mainland.

The meeting today also discussed the existing fire escape requirements for cinemas. Representatives of the Buildings Department said that in view of the scaling down of the size of cinemas and the new projection technology, the Government may consider relaxing the requirement of independent means of escape in cinemas.

The Department has commissioned a comprehensive review on the fire safety requirements of all types of buildings, including cinemas, and the preliminary report is expected to be completed by mid-2004.

The meeting also noted that a total of 12 applications for the Film Development Fund were received in the first half of this year.

Six applications were approved with a total allocation of about $390,000. These applications involve participation in and promotion of Hong Kong film in the film festivals in Germany and France.

End/Thursday, July 10, 2003

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