China-Australia film treaty

Countries to generate tens of millions of dollars

Next month will mark 10 years since Australia and China inked a co-production film treaty, which has brought the two countries eight major movies that are estimated to generate tens of millions of dollars, reports Xinhua.

The original idea for the agreement came about as a way for the Australian film industry to compete with the big Hollywood studios in the United States.

By opening the door to what is fastly becoming the world’s No 1 movie market - China, Australia aimed to make itself more attractive for producers looking to invest and cooperate with Aussie films. On the Chinese side of the equation, the deal also made sense, as it was a way to share elite talent and strengthen its reach to western audiences.

“There was all sorts of discussions about how they could bring, both the economics and the culture together,” Screen Australia’s Head of Business and Audience Richard Harris told the news agency recently. “The great thing about film is, that’s where you can bring those two things together in one place.”

The treaty itself is essentially, a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, which sets guidelines, so that certain films can be given the go-ahead to continue as an official co-production.

“When a producer has an idea for a project like Guardians of the Tomb for example, the idea of a number of Australian, American and Chinese archeologists in the desert in China discovering a tomb that happens to be infested by spiders, brings together the culture from the Chinese side and the Australian and western side, to make a film that can hopefully work in China,” Harris said.

“Then Screen Australia and another organisation inside of China do the certifying, as an official co-production, and once it has that certification, then it goes ahead and the Chinese government authorizes it there and then our government authorises it here.”

 

China-Australia film treaty

Countries to generate tens of millions of dollars

Next month will mark 10 years since Australia and China inked a co-production film treaty, which has brought the two countries eight major movies that are estimated to generate tens of millions of dollars, reports Xinhua. The original idea for the agreement came about as a way for the Australian film industry to compete with the big Hollywood studios in the United States. By opening the door to what is fastly becoming the worlds No 1 movie market - China, Australia aimed to make itself more attractive for producers looking to invest and cooperate with Aussie films. On the Chinese side of the equation, the deal also made sense, as it was a way to share elite talent and strengthen its reach to western audiences. There was all sorts of discussions about how they could bring, both the economics and the culture together, Screen Australias Head of Business and Audience Richard Harris told the news agency recently. The great thing about film is, thats where you can bring those two things together in one place. The treaty itself is essentially, a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, which sets guidelines, so that certain films can be given the go-ahead to continue as an official co-production. When a producer has an idea for a project like Guardians of the Tomb for example, the idea of a number of Australian, American and Chinese archeologists in the desert in China discovering a tomb that happens to be infested by spiders, brings together the culture from the Chinese side and the Australian and western side, to make a film that can hopefully work in China, Harris said. Then Screen Australia and another organisation inside of China do the certifying, as an official co-production, and once it has that certification, then it goes ahead and the Chinese government authorizes it there and then our government authorises it here.