Plans have been drawn up to introduce a film classification system that will allow greater flexibility for Hong Kong movies to enter the mainland market.
Scripts for films produced by Hong Kong and the mainland may also be subject to less stringent censorship as the central authorities gradually relax control over the vetting of pre-production and pre-screening.
The new measures were revealed yesterday at a meeting in Beijing between an 80-strong delegation of Hong Kong film workers comprising heads of film companies, directors, producers and movie stars. It was also attended by officials from the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television, the Cultural Ministry, Ministry of Commerce and the General Administration of Press and the Publication.
Delegates called for the relaxation of censorship on Hong Kong movies entering the mainland market under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (Cepa).
Zhao Shi, vice-director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said the central government was planning to draft a new set of regulations to classify movies screened on the mainland - imported and domestic - into several categories.
John Chong-ching, executive director of Media Asia Group, yesterday quoted Ms Zhao as saying that the administration had already completed research on the film classification systems in Hong Kong and other countries.