CINEMA FOLK ALARMED

Evening Star, Issue 19662, 15 September 1927, Page 4

CINEMA FOLK ALARMED

WRONG WAY TO HELP BRITISH FiLKS {Feb United r.mss Association.] WKIiIiINGTON, September M. 'Tho proposed increase of 200 per cent, in the duty on imported cinema film is not looked upon with favor by those who provide entertainments. A representative of the New Zealand Motion Picture Exhibitors’ Associaiinn says that if tho Government intends to stimulate the production of British films it has gone tho wrong way about it. In tho case of raw film tlie only reliable service is America or Germany. hi the case of the finished product the increased duty will not assist Britain. The contracts which the exhibitors have with tho American distributing companies contain a danse which automatically passes on to the exhibitors any increase in duty, it says, in effect, that tho public must pay the duty, as “ the British films are not there to bo bought.” The manager of the Governmenl Publicitv Department savs that it regularly imports 10,000 ft to 15,000 ft a week. Tho new duty will not affect this film, as it is made in Britain, it was essential to use the very best available, the material being too expensive to waste, Gorman bad been tried, but it had been found to be not satisfactory. An American firm was putting up work* all over the world. What was imported by the department was from works already established in England.