Kinematograph year book (1939)

22 The Kinematograph Year Book. SURVEY OF EUROPE. By Kine. Correspondents in European Capitals. CZECHO-SLOVAKIA. Legislation and Organisation. — The dominance by Germany of dismembered Czecho-Slovakia has caused the Prague Government to prepare a decree for the establishment of a Film Chamber after the German pattern with compulsory membership in one of its five sections (production, distribution, exhibition, studios and film workers), which will also assume the functions of the Film Advisory Council as outlined in the 1938 issue of the Year Eook. It remains to be seen, however, whether its authority will be accepted by the two other autonomous Federal States, Slovakia and Carpatho-Ukrainia. The production and distribution lines are in a particularly precarious situation owing not only to the narrowing down of the domestic market resulting from the fact that of an aggregate number of 1,851 kinemas ca. 300 were lost to Germany and 150 to Poland and Hungary, but also because it is feared that the Film Chamber will respond to the anti-Semitic agitation carried on by exhibitors. Quota and Import Regulations. — The exhibitors quota remained fixed at not less than eight native films per annum. The import duty is 1,200 crowns per 100 kilos and the miscellaneous charge covering the cost of importing films in bond and screening them before the Advisory Council is 500 crowns for features and 120 crowns for shorts. Under a Film Agreement concluded between Prague and Washington and effective since June 1, 1938, a delegate from the Federation of Film Import and Trade formed by the local branches of American distributors was admitted to the Advisory Council. The import permit fee payable for the negative or first print, eventually the lavender print, of a feature film upon its admittance by the Advisory Council (but refunded if the film fails to be passed by the Censors), was reduced universally by 12^ per cent, from 20,000 to 17,500 crowns, and the import permit fee payable by American distributors for the negative or first print of German-dubbed film imported in excess of an 8 to 1 ratio was halved from 12,000 to 6,000 crowns ; the fee for any additional prints, also of shorts and newsreels, is 0.15 crowns per running metre. The import of prints sub-titled in the Czech language remains prohibited, save to Americans, who have also been liberated from the obligation of renters distributing a minimum of five imported sound features per year, to handle one educational short of domestic make. Imported newsreels must include weeklv at least 20 per cent, of Czecho-Slovakian sound news. Censorship and Taxation. — In addition to the pre-censorship on imported films exercised by the Advisory Council, which has also been entrusted with the granting or refusing of export permits for domestic productions, there is the regular censorship under the Ministry of the Interior. Both are used to discriminate against films of an alleged anti-democratic character, but have reversed their course since the abandonment of democratic principles by the State. Moreover, German ideology has been adopted wholly by the independent censor board set up by Slovakia. The municipal entertainments tax averages 20 per cent, of gross receipts, another 20 per cent, is to be paid by exhibitors to the State in the form of various taxes and charges. FRANCE. Legislation and Organisation. — The Confederation Generate de la Cinematographic the voluntary head organisation of the French film industry grouping together the Chambres Syndicales of producers, renters, exhibitors and technical sections, has been able to strengthen its authority, which, among