People’s Daily reported that the China International Documentary Film Festival was held in Guangzhou China from December 8 through 12. 2,071 documentary films from 72 countries and regions participated in the festival. Participants reached agreements on documentary film contracts having a total value of150 million yuan (US$24.7 million). This was the highest amount reached in the film festival’s history.
The focus of the film festival centered on how the domestic documentary film industry can collaborate with the international market in order to “let China step outside and let the world understand China.” Reports indicated that a formal channel and procedure has been set up by the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television to standardize the process of producing and marketing documentary films. There were also discussions on how to make domestic documentary films adapt to the international market and make their contents fit so that overseas audiences can better understand them.
Reports also indicated that the General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television will not only increase its funding on documentary films; it has also requested that 34 television stations air a minimum of 30 minutes of domestically produced documentary films each day.
Source: People’s Daily, December 13, 2013
http://culture.people.com.cn/n/2013/1213/c87423-23830039.html