WORLD China suspends imports of films

The move is an attempt at boosting box-office revenues for China's films.
SHANGHAI, China (AP) -- Chinese moviegoers may have to wait just a little longer for the latest installments of "Spider-Man," "Shrek" and "Harry Potter."
China is suspending imports of foreign movies in July, apparently part of a campaign to protect the local film industry.
Despite the success of Chinese director Zhang Yimou and a handful of others, China's homegrown movie industry has been starved of box-office revenues by the plethora of pirated DVDs that sell for as little as $1 each.
Adding to the industry's woes, looser restrictions that followed China's 2001 entry into the World Trade Organization has meant foreign movies are being shown in ever greater numbers at local cinemas. And audiences seem to favor slick Hollywood productions over the dramas, slapstick comedies and communist propaganda films churned out by China's state-run studios.
Local studios also make few films aimed at young audiences.
Reports confirmed
Zhou Tiedong, a manager at the movie import and export division of China Film Group, confirmed reports in state-run newspapers that no foreign films would be released in July -- a peak movie viewing period. But Zhou questioned reports that foreign films will also be banned in October, saying the schedule for that month had not yet been set. If true, that would also shut foreign movies out of the weeklong holiday for the Oct. 1 National Day.
Major film distributor Huaxia Film Distribution also said it had been told to show only domestic-made movies during "certain periods of time," the Hong Kong-based newspaper reported last week.
An official at the State Administration for Film, Radio and Television, who refused to give his name, said distributors had been told to show only domestic films during July to limit competition for the debut of Zhang Yimou's $20 million kung fu thriller "House of Flying Daggers."
Last weekend, a downtown Shanghai cinema was showing at least three foreign films -- "Cheaper by the Dozen," "Looney Tunes: Back in Action" and "Cold Mountain" -- and one local film.
Tightening control
The reported ban comes after regulators recently began tightening ideological control over television, ordering celebrities to tone down their clothing and language and telling broadcasters to shun imported programming that doesn't fit China's "social system and national conditions."
The controls are aimed, they say, at fostering a wholesome environment for children.
"Shrek 2" opened last Wednesday in the United States, while "Spider-Man 2," and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" are scheduled to premiere in June.
Chinese moviegoers can catch "Spider-Man 2" and "Shrek 2" in August, local reports said.
The timing for the Chinese premiere of the latest "Harry Potter" movie has not yet been set.
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.