ENG-1953 — Page 206

THE PRESS, BROADCASTING, FILMS AND GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES

flourishing industry, with no less than seven Chinese studios. Films in both the Cantonese and Mandarin dialects are pro- duced, and the Colony now ranks third highest in the world as a producer of films, the two largest producers being the United States and Japan.

Government does not possess a film section, though certain technical films are produced by the Director of Medical and Health Services in connexion with health propaganda work, and other campaigns for which film strips are needed.

All foreign films imported into the Colony are distributed through commercial agencies. A quota system has been established, which requires first-run theatres to show British films for seven days out of every seventy. All films, whether locally produced or imported, are subject to censorship before release for exhibition by one of a panel of three censors, appointed by Government.

Film censorship is governed by regulations, but the question as to whether or not a film should be passed for exhibition is entirely a matter for the censor to determine. Any owner or hirer who is aggrieved at the decision of the censor may appeal to a Board of Review. The decision of this Board is final. Films passed for exhibition are released for viewing by all audiences and there is no special certificate that excludes child audiences or requires a limited audience for a horror film, as is the practice in the United Kingdom. In any one quarter of the year under review, an average of approximately 15 British, 104 American, 56 locally made Chinese films, and 20 other feature films were presented for censorship.

Information Services

The Public Relations department is divided into a number of separate but interlocking units or sections under the control of the Public Relations Officer. There are the Press section,

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