Year book of motion pictures (1951)

film disti-ibulois who maintain head offices in Trinidad. CHILE — No special restrictions are imposed on the entry of United States motion pictures into Chile, althougrh importation of films is limitde in value by the yearly allocation of foreign exchange set forth in Chile's foreign exchange budget. For the past several years United States motion picture distributors in Chile have been encountering difficulties in obtaining dollar exchange to remit to their principals. Budget allocations for entertainment films (35-mm. and 16-mm.) from all sources ill 1950 were fixed at $3e0.()00 in U. S. currency and $110,000 in other currencies, which is practically the same amounts as allocated in 1948 and 1949. Import permits are required. During 1950 import licenses were somewhat delayed, licenses for the first half being received late in the second quarter and licenses for the second half at the c-ose of the third quarter. As the result of this delay, imports for 1950 will probably be considerably below the 1949 level. No mea.sures make it mandatory to exhibit national films nor are there any laws in Chile which establish or require that a percentage of domestic films be exhibited in each theater. COLOMBI.i — The Office of Exchange Control through the issuance of Decision (Acuerdo) No. 5:5 dated November 16. 1950, increased the quotas of official exchange assigned to motion picture distributors in Colombia for the payment of royalties or the direct purchase of films. Quotas for the period July 1. 1949 through June 30, 1950 were adjusted to the full amount of royalties payable for that period, thus permitting the remittance of royalties earned by the foreign motion picture companies during that period but not previously remitted because they exceeded the importers' quotas. With respect to the year July 1, 1950 through June 30, 1951, Acuerdo No. 53 authorized quotas equal to the adjusted quotas for the past year plus 10 per cent. Distributors who purchase their films arc authorized quotas on the basis of royalties which would have been payable had they imported the films under royalty contracts. Remittances for royalties or the purchase of fi^ms in excess of the quotas provided may be made by means of exchange certificates. Import permits are required. Unremitted film royalties earned prior to May '20. 1949 are covered by a five-year. 60-monthlypayment plan set up in August 1949 by the Office of Exchange Control and accepted by the foreign motion picture distributors. This plan has worked well and monthly payments have been made regularly since June 1949. ECr.iDOK — Motion picture films imported into Ecuador are included in the "C" or "luxury" list of imports and foreign exchange for film remittances must be obtained in the legal free market. In December 1950 the average selling rate of the dollar in the free market for "C" list imports was 1H.5 sucres plus a tax of 44 per cent computed on the CIF value of the imported item, making the exchange rate approximately 25.10 sucres to the dollar. It is reported that dollar exchange is available for such remittances. The par value rate of exchange in December 1950 was set at 15 sucres to the dollar. Import permits are required. P.\K.AGl'AY — Under the multiple exchange system established November 27, 1950 by the Bank of Paraguay motion picture films were classified in Group III requiring payment for U. S. films to be made at the rate of (j.08'21 guaranies to the iIoMar. Prior to this classification, motion picture films were included in Group II with an exchange rate of 4,9821 guaranies to the dollar. Import licenses are not required. During the past year the practice of obtaining United States films from Argentine distributors for showing in Paraguay has broken down because Argentine distributors have demanded payment in dollars. [Practically all films shown in Paraguay prior to this development were imported from Argentina and paid for in Argentine pesos. The few new U. S. pictures now entering Paraguay are being obtained directly from the United States. This method is not favored by Paraguayan distributors because of the high cost in the outright purchase of film, whereas films from the Argentine distributors were obtained on a percentage basis. PEKl' — Motion pictures are on the list of permitted imports and may be entered without license or authorization of any kind. The status of remittances of film earnings remains unchanged. Applications for revalidation of official exchange pruchase permits granted through August 1948 still are iJending action. Foreign exchange for remittance of film earnings since August 1948 must be obtained in the free market which in December 1950 was at the rate of 15.64 soles to the dollar or may be transferred in the form of exchange certificates with the prior approval of the Minister of Finance. Exchange certificates in December 1950 were being issued at a rate of 15.12 eoles to the dollar. SURIN.AM — In Surinam each exhibitor of films is limited in his exhibition by currency exchange restrictions. Remittance of the film companies for showing of films is 32 H per cent of the gross receipts. Each exhibitor is allowed exchange for U. S. currency in proportion to his volume of business, 75 per cent of the allowed quota may be remitted in dollars and the remaining 25 per cent in pounds sterling. Import licenses will be granted for motion picture films only by special permission of the Foreign Exchange Control Board. IKIGU-W — Import permits are required and applications must be made to the office of the Contralor de Exportaciones e Importaciones for both an import license and the necessary foreign exchange. While no quantitative restrictions are imposed on the importation of motion pictures. United States distributors face increasing difficulties on account of the strictness of the exchange control authorities in the allocation of dollars for imports. Film imports are included in the list of non-essential or luxury items (Category 3 1 for the purpose of allocation of exchange. This means that exchange will be granted after all items in Categories One and Two are given fuU consideration. On October 6, 1949, the problem seemed to reach a clima.x when Uruguayan authorities required that the declared value of films to be imported should be the same as that appearing in the resiiective contracts between producers and local distributors. This measure would have created serious problems, since the distributors would have to indicate on the import permit the contract value of a fi'.m instead of the present nominal declared value of the films, with the result that dollar quotas granted for film imports would quickly be exhausted. This measure has not as yet been put into effect. Remittances of film royalties is effected at the free market rate which in December 1950 was 2.40 pesos to the dollar. No difficulties are encountered in transferring film earnings. A'ENEZl'EL.4 — No permits are required for the importation of motion pictures nor for the purchase of exchange in payment of such imports. There are at present no import or foreign exchange restrictions which would ser\'e to restrict the showing of U. S. films in 'Venezuela. MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA MEXICO — Since February 3, 1949, an import importation of motion pictures and no difficulty permit has been required for motion picture films. has been encountered in the transfer of dollar There are no quantitative restrictions on the exchange for film remittances. There has been 726