Outline of Film Co-production Agreement
between Japan and China
Under the Agreement on the Co-production of Films between the Government of Japan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China (the “Japan-China Agreement”),co-productions that have been approved by both Japan and China will be allowed to fully enjoy all the privileges accorded to films made in both countries in accordance with the laws and regulations of their respective countries.
On the Japanese side, Unijapan has been designated by the competent authorities (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Agency for Cultural Affairs, and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) in the Annex to the Japan-China Agreement as the handling organization, and has been delegated part of the administrative tasks related to the certification of Japan-China co-productions (hereinafter referred to as “Japan-China co-production certification”), including the contact point for certification under the Japan-China Agreement
In order to fully enjoy all the benefits granted to its films in China under the Japan-China Agreement, the Chinese partner in the co-production must be granted a film project approval letter and a film screening permit through the procedures of the competent authorities in China. Please note that the issuance of a letter of confirmation based on the Japan-China Agreement in Japan does not automatically guarantee the completion of the approval process in China.
| Eligibility | Feature films for theatrical use to be co-produced in two or more countries, including Japan and the People’s Republic of China (including live-action films, documentary films and animated films, but not including animated films for television). |
| Application Period | Applications can be submitted at any time. For accreditation under the Japan-China Agreement, the applicant will be notified of the result of the review within 45 working days from the date of submission and acceptance of the documents. Please note that, in accordance with Article 5.1 of the Japan-China Agreement, certification (or “provisional confirmation” under the Agreement) must be applied for and received prior to the start of co-production. |
| Applicants | Applications should be submitted by Japanese entities (including production companies). Applications from overseas filmmakers will not be accepted. |
| Certification | 1. If you wish to be accredited based on the Japan-China Agreement, please prepare and submit the necessary documents in accordance with the application guidelines. 2. The submitted documents will be reviewed by the competent authorities as stipulated in the Japan-China Agreement in light of the review criteria after confirmation by experts. 3. If all the submitted documents are submitted and meet the requirements of the criteria, the applicant will be notified, and a confirmation letter will be issued. |