Senator the Hon. George Brandis S.C

China and Australia sign film co-production agreement Treaty

The co-production treaty between China and Australia was initiated by the producers Daqi, David Waddington and Dion William Leech based on the co-production film project ¡°Imperishable Sydney". It contributed to the final establishment the such treaty and set Sino-Australia film cooperation precedent.
After almost three years of formal negotiations, the Minister for the Arts and Sport, Senator George Brandis, today announced the signing of a film co-production agreement between Australia and China. The signing took place in the Australian Embassy in Beijing.
¡°Australian and Chinese filmmakers have a great history of working together on internationally renowned film projects such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers,¡± Senator Brandis said.
¡°The development of this treaty with the Chinese Government will further encourage creative collaboration between our film industries and will cover both the production of films and telemovies.¡±
¡°China represents a huge potential growth area for Australian production, and the opportunities to develop co-produced films which have cultural relevance to both countries are unlimited. This agreement will give Australian filmmakers greater access to the film market of the world¡¯s most populous nation and the important wider Asian market.¡±
Senator Brandis said the agreement would promote cultural and creative exchange and help to share the economic costs and benefits of productions.
The Australian Government already has film and television co-production treaties with the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Canada, Italy, Ireland, Israel and Germany and Memoranda of Understanding with France and New Zealand. In addition, a treaty with South Africa is currently under negotiation and another with Singapore is close to finalisation.
A co-production agreement allows an approved film or television program to be considered as a national production in each of the co-production countries. Producers can then apply for any benefits or programs of assistance available in either country, including investment and tax incentives. The production is also treated as ¡®local content¡¯ in each country for the purposes of audiovisual regulation.
The first film to be produced with China as part of Australia¡¯s Official Co-production Program is in the final stages of post-production. An Australia-China-German co-production, The Children of Huang Shi was made through an MOU between Australia and China and an existing Australia¨CGermany co-production treaty.
It is anticipated that the agreement between Australia and China will come into force in the next few months. Australia¡¯s International Co-production Program is administered by the Australian Film Commission. Visit www.afc.gov.au/coproductions for more information.
Media contact: Travis Bell 0448 950 248
28 August 2007

From the left: David Waddington, Da Qi, D .W.Leech