Film treaty signed between China and the Netherlands
The People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of the Netherlands have signed a treaty for the co-production of films between both countries. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bert Koenders, and the Chinese Minister of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT), Mr. Cai Fuchao, signed the treaty in Beijing on October 26 during the state visit to China of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.
The treaty will enhance and facilitate the co-production of films between China and the Netherlands, which will be conducive to the film industries in both countries and to the development of their cultural and economic exchanges.
Films that are realised in co-production within the established framework are considered by both countries as national films. The treaty allows qualifying co-productions to access financing possibilities in both countries.The level of the performing, technical and craft contribution of each co-producer must be in line with the financial support they bring to the project, which can be no less than 10% and no more than 90% of the production costs. The framework offers Dutch films a wider and better access to Chinese audiences as eligible films will be exempted from China’s quota on foreign films.
The treaty has been negotiated by the Netherlands Film Fund and China’s Film Bureau and China Film Co-production Corporation, with support from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Dutch Embassy in Beijing and China’s State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT). Applications for co-production states will be assessed by The China Film Co-production Corporation and the Netherlands Film Fund.
Doreen Boonekamp, CEO of the Netherlands Film Fund: “The established framework offers thorough opportunities for inspiring new collaborations between the Dutch and Chinese film industry. It creates the conditions to increase artistic and technical collaboration leading to a true cultural exchange between both countries and to explore each other’s markets. We look forward to explore co-production possibilities in particular in the field of documentary, animation and children’s films in which our Chinese counterparts specifically expressed their interest.”
The Netherlands has co-production treaties with France, Canada and Germany and will sign upcoming treaties with the French Speaking Community of Belgium and South Africa in the near future.
Read the treaty here.
Read the treaty here.