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PRESS, BROADCASTING AND CINEMA

FILM INDUSTRY

Hong Kong's thriving film industry this year maintained the output which has won it a place among the world's leading film producing centres. There was also continued interest by major overseas producers in Hong Kong location shooting and a con- tinued upsurge in the numbers of advertising films and commercials made here for both local and international clients.

The two principal Hong Kong companies are Shaw Brothers and the Cathay Organisation, and they control the bulk of 28 shooting stages. A number of smaller independent companies have studio complexes. Most of the Mandarin films are widescreen and in lavish colour-Shaw Brothers' films are renowned for their outstanding colour and the company now operates its own highly- automated colour laboratories. Cantonese films, which are produced almost exclusively for the Hong Kong domestic market, are usually in black-and-white but some of the more ambitious productions have ventured into colour. An average Mandarin film now costs approximately $900,000 and a Cantonese black-and-white produc- tion about $400,000.

Hong Kong films are popular throughout Asia and have recently been increasingly well received overseas both in film festivals and at the box office.

There are 103 cinemas in the Colony, with total seating capacity of 120,365. Attendance figures are among the highest in the world per head of population.

Costs for location shooting in Hong Kong, where some unparal- leled scenery is to be found, are still considerably lower than in other leading international centres such as Spain, Italy and Mexico. Labour costs are extremely economical, yet international standards in services are consistently provided. These advantages, combined with Hong Kong's unique story possibilities, drew a number of American and European producers to the Colony during the year and several others have announced firm plans to film part or all of coming productions in Hong Kong.

Films for public exhibition within Hong Kong are subject to censorship in accordance with the law and must be viewed by the