Minutes of evidence taken before the Departmental Committee on Cinematograph Films (1936)

32 COMMITTEE ON CINEMATOGRAPH FILMS 5 May, 1936.] [Continued. executive staffs consisting wholly of Italian subjects. A dubbed film must show at what place the dubbing was carried out and that the work was done in Italy. Persons carrying out in Italy dubbing of a foreign sound film must pay a tax of 26,000 lire on each such foreign film for which a permit to exhibit has been issued. Makers of native films dubbing foreign sound films into Italian are exempt from this tax if for three adaptations of foreign films they produce and show one national film. The conditions to be complied .with by an Italian film are : — (a) the subject must be by an Italian author or must at least have been adapted for the Italian production by Italian authors ; (b) the majority of the artistic and executive staffs must be of Italian nationality; (c) both outdoor and indoor scenes must be taken in Italy. Certain exceptions may be made in respect of outdoor scenes according to the special requirements of the story. From and including the financial year 1933-4, 2,000,000 lire has been provided in the Budget of the Ministry of Corporations for the payment of prizes to national films considered as having artisticmerit and good technical execution. In first and second run cinemas in towns having a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants one Italian fiction sound film of not less than 1,500' metres must be shown for every three non-Italian sound films. At least three Italian films must be shown in each quarter of the year. The Under-Secretary for Press and Propaganda is authorised to vary the percentage of foreign to Italian films in accordance with the development of the national industry. The charges for and conditions of renting [talian films must not be less favourable than those of foreign films >if equal importance and Italian and foreign films must not be rented in the same contract. Under a law dated 13th June, 1935, the UnderSecretary of State for Press and Propaganda is authorised to grant loans to Italian film makers. An application for an advance must be accompanied by financial, artistic and technical details of the proposed film. Applications are considered, and the amounts of the advances to be granted are fixed, by a Commission of five members, subject to the approval of the Under-Secretary of State. Provision for loans to film makers is to be made in the estimates of the Ministry of Finance up to a maximum of 10 million lire a year for five years from and including 1935-36. Provision is also made for the establishment of a cinema credit department at the Banca Nazionale del Lavore for the purpose of granting loans at particularly favourable interest rates to makers of films. The capital to be provided for this purpose is to be not less than that provided by the Ministry of Finance for similar purposes. (g) Poland. — The principal measures at present in operation in Poland for the protection and promotion of the film industry are: — (a) a high customs duty on imported films ; (b) strict censorship in respect of foreign films; (c) very high municipal tax discrimination between foreign films and Polish films making up the programmes of cinemas. A Film Law of 13th March, 1934, empowers the Council of Ministers to regulate the importation of films, but this power has not been used. The law also provides for the grant of subsidies to local filiu production from the fees payable for exhibition permits. This power also has not yet been exercised. A decree of the 18th August, 1934, made under the law requires the registration of undertakings for the sale and lease of films. A further decree of the 12th September, 1935, under the law established within the Ministry of the Interior (a) a Film Commission and (b) a High Film Commission. The function of these Commissions is to examine any films and advertising matter relating to them which may be submitted to them by the Ministry of the Interior. The Commissions do not take the place of the ordinary Film Censorship Committee. Proposals are reported to be under consideration (a) for a municipal tax on films, the maximum rate of tax not to exceed 60 per cent, and on films with a Polish theme, 5 per cent, of the price of the ticket, with a special rebate to cinemas undertaking to show annually at least 10 per cent, of Polish films exceeding 1,500 metres in length, in which case the tax on foreign films would be 45 per cent. In otber towns than WarsaAV lower rates would be applied to foreign films, dependent on the number of inhabitants; and (6) for a special tax on imported films to provide a fund for the encouragement of local production. APPENDIX VIII. 1. The following table shows the import duties at present in force on cinematograph films: Class or Description of Goods. Rates of Duty. Full. Preferential Cinematograph Films imported for the purpose of the exhibition of pictures or other optical effects by means of a cinematograph or other similar apparatus: Blank film, on which no picture has been impressed, known as raw film or stock, including photographic sensitised sheets or strips of celluloid or other similar material of a length of not less than twelve feet, whatever the width. Positives, i.e., films containing a picture for exhibition, whether developed or not Negatives, i.e., films containing a photograph, whether developed or not, from which positives can be printed 1 1 | per linear foot of } the standard | width of If inches 1 J >> £ s d. 0 0 01 0 0 1 0 0 5 £ s. d. 0 0 0| 0 0 0$ 0 0 3i