France's Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand rejoices over the signing of a Franco-Chinese Film Co-Production Agreement.
At the occasion of a recent state visit to China by the French President, France's Minister of Culture and Communication, Frédéric Mitterrand, signed the Agreement with his Chinese counterpart in charge of the film and television sector, Wang Taihua, State Administration Minister for Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) on April 29 in Beijing.
Highly anticipated by industry professionals, this Co-Production Agreement was praised by the French Minister, who expressed his delight that such an agreement was achieved, allowing Chinese and French film producers to develop common projects and access industry support available in both countries. This Agreement will help to build a stronger presence for French films in China.
A number of Chinese film directors have benefited in recent years from support schemes offered by the CNC - Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, including production aid funds such as the Fonds Sud Cinéma, funding support for foreign-language productions, and distribution aid. Films co-produced by France and China will now be eligible for other selective aid schemes as well as the "compte de soutien," a film and television industry support fund.
With this new Agreement, France and China affirm their wish to further strengthen their cultural ties.