Kinematograph year book (1946)

Digest of Acts. 171 (26). — Conditions governing registration of British films as quota films. (1) Every film registered under this Part of this Act as a British film shall be registered as an exhibitors' quota film, and, subject to the following provisions of this section, shall, if the applicant so requests, be registered also as a renters' quota film. (2) A film registered under this Part of this Act as a British film shall not be registered as a renters' quota film unless — (a) the maker of the film was, throughout the time during which the film was being made, a person carrying on business in the United Kingdom and having his principal place of business therein, and (b) the studio, if any, used in making the film (exclusive of any portion of the film which, by virtue of subsection (3) of the last preceding section, is to be treated as not forming part of the film) was within the United Kingdom, and c) at least half the requisite amount of labour costs, as defined by subsection (2) of the last preceding section, represents payments which, as part of the labour costs of the film, have been paid or are payable in respect of the labour or services of British subjects ordinarily resident in, or persons domiciled in, the United Kingdom. (3) A film registered under this Part of this Act as a British long film shall not be registered as renters' quota film unless — (a) the total labour costs of the film amount to not less than seven thousand five hundred pounds, and (b) the quotient derived from dividing the amount of the said total labour costs by the number of feet comprised in the length of the film is a sum of not less than one pound : Provided that the Board of Trade may exempt any particular film from the operation of this subsection if, after consulting the Cinematograph Films Council and considering its advice in the matter, the Board are of opinion that the film has special value for purposes of entertainment. (4) The Board of Trade, after consulting the Cinematograph Films Coundl and considering its advice in the matter, may lay before Parliament the draft of an order directing that the last preceding subsection shall, subject to such modifications of that subsection as may be specified in the order,, apply in relation to films registered under this Part of this Act as British short films, as it applies in relation to films registered as British long films ; and if each House of Parliament resolves that the order be made, the Board shall make the order in terms of the draft, and the order shall come into operation on such date as may be specified therein. (5) The Board of Trade, after consulting the Cinematograph Films Council and considering its advice in the matter, may lay before Parliament the draft of* an order providing that the Board, upon representations made to them within the prescribed period after there has been trade-shown a film which is the subject of an application for the registration thereof as a British film and also as a renters' quota film, or which has been registered as aforesaid, may, notwithstanding that the conditions as to cost imposed in relation to the film by subsection (3) of this section, or by an order under the last preceding subsection are fulfilled, either refuse to register the film as a renters' quota film or, as the case may be, cancel the registration of the film as a renters' quota film, if, after consulting the Cinematograph Films Council and considering its advice in the matter, the Board are satisfied that the film has insufficient value for purposes of entertainment ; and if each House of Parliament resolves that the order be made the Board shall make the order in terms of the draft, and the order shall come into operation on such date, falling not earlier than twelve months after the date on which the order is made, as may be specified in the order : Provided that an order under this subsection shall not apply in relation to short films unless and until an order under the last preceding subsection is in operation. (6) Where, in the case of a film registered under this Part of this Act as a British long film and also as a renters' quota film, — (a) the total labour costs of the film amount to not less than twenty-two thousand five hundred pounds but to less than thirty-seven thousand five hundred pounds, and (b) the quotient derived from dividing the amount of the said total labour costs by the number of feet comprised in the length of the film is a sum of not less than three pounds but of less than five pounds, the film shall be registered as doubled for the purpose of renters' quota ; and where, in the case of a film registered as a British long film and also as a renters' quota film— (i) the total labour costs of the film amount to not less than thirty-seven thousand five hundred pounds, and (ii) the quotient derived from dividing the amount of the said total labour costs by the number of feet comprised in the length of the film is a sum of not less than five pounds, the film shall be registered as trebled for the purpose of renters' quota. (7) If, and to the extent that, section one of this Act has effect subject to the modification made therein by an order containing such a direction as is authorised by paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of that section, subsection (6) of this section shall have effect as if, in that subsection, for the words " trebled for the purpose of renters' quota " there were substituted the words "capable of being doubled under section three of this Act,"