ENG-2000 — Page 434

COMMUNICATIONS, THE MEDIA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

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persons aged 18 and above only). The objective is to allow adults wide access to films while protecting persons under the age of 18 from exposure to potentially harmful material.

Category IIA and IIB classifications are advisory (no statutory age restriction is imposed) and are intended to give more information to movie-goers, parents in particular, to help them select films for themselves or their children. Age restriction is mandatory for Category III films.

During the year, 1 068 films were submitted for classification, compared with 1 408 films in 1999. Of these, 196 were classified Category I (one with excisions), 223 Category IIA (one with excisions), 420 Category IIB (41 with excisions), and 229 Category III (104 with excisions). Film trailers, instructional films and cultural films intended for public exhibition also require censorship but do not need to be classified into any category. During the year, 1 526 such items were approved for exhibition. Film classification standards are kept in line with society's standards by regular surveys of community views and consultation with a statutory panel of advisers, comprising about 300 members drawn from a wide cross-section of the populace. A public opinion survey on the film classification system conducted in 2000 showed that the great majority of the public accepted the present system and the prevailing classification standards. Decisions on film classifications may be reviewed by the Board of Review (Film Censorship), a statutory body established under the Film Censorship Ordinance. The board comprises nine non-official members appointed by the Chief Executive, and the Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting as an ex officio member. There were no reviews of the censor's decisions in 2000.

Government Support

The Government is committed to providing a favourable environment conducive to the healthy and long-term development of the film industry in Hong Kong. The Film Services Advisory Committee was established in May 1998 to provide a conduit for dialogue between the film industry and the Government and to advise on the work of the Film Services Office under the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority which facilitates film production in Hong Kong and promotes Hong Kong films locally and abroad. The committee is appointed by the Chief Executive and comprises the Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting who is the chairman, two public officers and nine members who are non-officials.

Since its establishment in April 1998, the Film Services Office has obtained the agreement of over 180 government departments and public organisations to let their premises for location filming and has published reference materials in this regard for the industry. To facilitate film production in Hong Kong, the Film Services Office also provides one-stop service to the film industry on location shooting requests of a more complicated nature. During the year, it dealt with 142 such requests, with a 98 per cent success rate. The Film Services Office also facilitated the organisation of a number of tailor-made training courses for the film industry during the year.

To promote Hong Kong films, the Film Services Office facilitated the organisation of the Hong Kong Film Festivals in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, and in Washington DC in the United States, in July and August respectively. The Film Services Office also promoted Hong Kong as a choice for location filming at the