At the edge of Asia: The prospects for Australia-China film co-production

One of the significant developments in film policy in Australia over the past two decades has been an increased emphasis on international co-productions. Australia and China signed a co-production treaty in 2008, and to date, this has resulted in three films: The Children of Huang Shi (Spottiswoode, 2007), The Dragon Pearl (Andreacchio, 2011) and 33 Postcards (Chan, 2011). This article reviews the opportunities and difficulties involved in co-production between the two countries. It examines potential problems in the differences between the financial and regulatory structures of the two national industries and the ways in which the three films that have been co-produced might be seen as responses to the challenges of making films that would be marketable in both countries. It ends by looking at the changes that have occurred in Chinese film policy in 2012 and the closer relations Chinese film companies have established with globalized Hollywood production. The article suggests that these changes are significant for the prospects of Australian film-makers looking for co-production opportunities with China.