The Film Industry Promotion Law is of great significance and clarifies the industrial status of China films

High-level officials have realized the importance of the film industry to the national economy, and the "realization of knowledge" and "realization of culture" since 2016 will surely be increasingly recognized by the public.

In early spring in March, it is a time of great vitality. But for some cinemas in China, March is as biting as the cold snap in autumn and winter. Because, on March 21, the National Film Market Special Governance Office issued a penalty notice: According to Article 51 of the "Film Industry Promotion Law", 326 cinemas including China Film Tongxiang Jiabo Theater concealed box office and were subject to varying degrees of punishment such as suspension of business for rectification, fines, and internal notification warnings. Among them, the most serious cases were 63 cinemas including China Film Company Tongxiang Jiabo Theater, which concealed box office of more than 1 million yuan. They have been suspended for rectification for no less than 90 days starting on March 27. Depending on the rectification, the original film authorities will reissue their screening licenses. If at the beginning of the promulgation of the "Film Industry Promotion Law"(hereinafter referred to as the "Promotion Law"), people still had doubts whether this was another "red tape", then this penalty decision at least gave people a signal that "it's serious".

Once upon a time, audiences mainly attributed the bottleneck in the development of China films to one "department" and "one word": the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television and review. It seems that if the "long-awaited" grading system "is implemented overnight, China's film industry will immediately rise. This statement actually seems to me to be a" blind eye." China film is a cultural industry, with culture as the core and industry as the foundation. Its development constraints are essentially no different from other factors such as industry and agriculture. They are all influenced by many factors such as the practitioners themselves, the market, the government, capital, etc., entangling a certain link in a certain factor is equivalent to abandoning the original and pursuing the last. They may even fall into self-imagined "endgames." In 2016, Feng Xiaogang's "I am not Pan Jinlian" staggered eleven golden files by netizens as "audit problems", and later Feng Dao refuted rumors "in order to avoid the National Day blockbuster pile", purely competitive strategy. Today, the author will talk about the present and future of China's film industry in conjunction with the Promotion Law.

"The stones of other mountains can be used to attack jade." The "Film Industry Promotion Law" introduced this year has clear reference significance. Here, I will not talk about the "high-rise" Europe and the United States, but will talk about my country's two close neighbors, South Korea and India.

Since entering the new century, South Korea and India, two "latecomer countries in the film industry", have developed rapidly like rockets. You know, before 1999, the Indian film industry was regarded by the government as an "informal industry" and ignored it at all. At that time, Indians had no funds to make films and even raised funds from gangs because the government considered it "unfashionable." Similarly, if "Caravan" and "Wanderer" were known to China audiences in previous "unpopular" Indian films, then Korean films had no impression of China audiences before the 21st century. I remember that when I was a child, I still called South Korea with emotion. The turning point came in 1999, when the Indian government classified the film industry as a "real industry", resulting in loans, bond issuance and security guarantees. In the same year, South Korea revised the "Film Revitalization Law" and established the Korea Film Revitalization Committee. Since then, the South Korean film industry has the "General Administration" at the helm. Subsequently, the Indian government reduced film production costs by abolishing entertainment taxes and allowing foreign investment to enter, while the South Korean government adopted film quotas and de-administrationalization, and the Revitalization Committee increased the development space of its own films through cash subsidies.

Careful consideration of the promulgation of my country's "Promotion Law" draws on the experience of the above two countries from both macro and micro levels. This is the first special law in my country's film industry. Its significance can be compared to South Korea's "Film Revitalization Law". As the saying goes,"If the name is not right, the words are not right, and the words are not right, nothing will succeed." "Legislation" shows the importance attached to it at the national level. Compared with the Indian film industry gaining "formal status", my country regards the film industry as an important part of the cultural industry, and the inevitable consequences will be in all aspects.(policies, funds, personnel) tilt; Secondly, in terms of specific regulations, it also follows the principles of government-led and market participation in the developing countries of India and South Korea: First, Article 12 of the Promotion Law "" The film authorities of the people's governments above the county level shall provide necessary convenience and assistance for film creators to go deep into the grassroots, the masses, and experience life according to the needs of film creation." and Article 15:"The film authorities of the people's governments at or above the county level shall coordinate with the public security, cultural relics protection, scenic spot management and other departments to provide necessary convenience and assistance for legal persons and other organizations to engage in film production activities in accordance with this Law." Article 38 "The state implements necessary preferential tax policies to promote the development of the film industry, and the specific measures shall be formulated by the fiscal and taxation department of the State Council in accordance with the provisions of tax laws and administrative regulations" reflects the use of administrative power by the state and local governments for the film industry. Practical support and assistance; Second, Article 14 of the Promotion Law "Legal persons and other organizations may cooperate with overseas organizations to make films with the approval of the film authorities of the State Council" is equivalent to conditionally allowing foreign-funded enterprises to enter the film and television industry to cooperate in making films. Third, the review also reflects "streamlining administration and delegating power": Article 13 of the Promotion Law "" Legal persons and other organizations planning to make films shall submit the outline of the film script to the film competent department of the State Council or the people's government of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government The film competent department shall file the case." Finally, it is also an innovation in this "Promotion Law", which uses financial leverage to promote the development of the film industry. Article 40 "The state encourages financial institutions to provide financing services for engaging in film activities and improving film infrastructure, carry out pledge financing business of intellectual property rights related to films in accordance with the law, and support the development of the film industry through credit and other means." If you recall why the stock market soared in the first half of 2015 (the stock market crash is a story later), you will understand that financial leverage was introduced. Similarly, this measure of the Promotion Law plays a major role in guiding hot money into the film industry. Unlike the stock market, the investment in the film industry is far from saturated relative to the China market and participants.

One of the secrets of Indian Bollywood's long-standing competition against Hollywood is its firm grasp of the public, especially the farmers. Unlike China, where the main focus of movie-watching is young people in cities, 70% of Indian movie audiences are still farmers. This has become the fundamental reason why it is difficult for Hollywood to enter the Indian market, because farmers audiences do not accept Hollywood's narrative logic, and so do the same rural audience in China.

This time, the "Promotion Law" also provides clear measures to expand the audience of rural films: Article 27 "The state will increase its support for rural film screenings, and the government will fund the establishment and improvement of a public welfare screening service network for rural films, and actively guide Social funds will invest in rural film screenings, continuously improve the conditions for viewing movies in rural areas, and coordinate the needs of people in rural areas to watch movies. The people's governments at or above the county level shall incorporate the public welfare screening of rural films into the construction of the rural public cultural service system and subsidize rural film public welfare screening activities in accordance with relevant state regulations."

Admittedly, some people may question whether the film industry in rural areas can develop due to factors such as infrastructure and people's income. Here, I suggest that film practitioners can look further: First of all, the current party and government have always regarded the issue of poverty alleviation of farmers as a top priority. At this year's "Two Sessions", Xi Da also said that "the most concern is the people in need." Increasing farmers 'income and supporting cultural industries (movies are an important part of which) are necessary measures to help people in need escape material and spiritual poverty. Secondly, rural areas are a vast and undeveloped "blue ocean" for film practitioners. The market is huge. Moreover, the government will allocate funds to invest in rural screening networks in the future. As early as 2013, the State Council issued the "Guiding Opinions on the Government's Procurement of Services from Social Forces"(Guo Ban Fa [2013] No. 96), in which the purchase content clearly includes "cultural service fields" and combined with the "Promotion Law" for rural film screening support provides a clear direction for investment in the film industry.

The "Film Industry Promotion Law" provides film practitioners with an "arsenal" from the legal level, both changes to old models and innovations. The main problem now lies in refining some legal provisions into actions. For example, government tax exemptions, what is the specific percentage of exemptions; which national institution will provide financial support to film practitioners and even the local government; how to use the review power delegated to local governments in film creation, and what are the specific review standards; A series of issues need to be implemented. However, the author believes that high-level officials have realized the importance of the film industry to the national economy, and the "realization of knowledge" and "realization of culture" since 2016 will surely be increasingly recognized by the public.

Editor: Nancy