"The co-production treaty encourages and makes it easier for various countries to collaborate in a business context. Although the treaty is a government treaty between two countries, it encourages cooperation on a cultural and business level and makes it easier to forge contacts," says Julian Alcantara, producer of the UK-based Random Character Pictures.
The treaty benefits producers, investors and actors from both countries, Nevill says.
"What they need to ensure is that the films are a collaboration between a British producer and a Chinese producer. The two can even create a stand-alone company and it really does not matter who are the real investors," she says. "If it's a China-UK co-production, it would be eligible for British tax breaks provided it passes the cultural tests. For the cultural tests, it needs to incorporate British and Chinese elements.
"These elements could be behind the camera or in front of the camera, or to do with the story or to do with wherever the film is being shot. A proportion of the co-production's spending has to be used or consumed in the UK. That's the regulation."
China also has similar or even stricter requirements for co-productions, including stipulations that the main cast should include Chinese and the film should feature Chinese culture and investment.
"I think the cultural elements are important for both sides. If a country has to promote its image, then people and stories are obviously the best ways to do it," Alcantara says.
"So it's not just about China depending on Hollywood to tell Chinese stories. It's about China telling Chinese stories in the same way that the British tell British stories. So culture is always important."
Working together
Kong Xiangxi, chairman of the Committee of the China International Film Festival London, which was launched last year, expects his team will work with British filmmakers on more co-productions.
"We can have Chinese directors and actors working with British production teams and techniques. We want them to work together to promote Chinese films," Kong says. "The film festival itself is for the British filmmakers and the Chinese filmmakers to learn more about both UK and China. We want to shape an image of Chinese films interacting with international counterparts."
Remaking films that are worthwhile is also one of the possibilities of co-productions.
Chinese film producer Feng Xiaogang told BBC World in a recent interview that Duncan Kenworthy, who produced Four Weddings and a Funeral, has hinted that he would like to team up for a Western version of Feng's hit movie A World without Thieves.
We Recommend:
Print
Save