SANYA /China/, December 8. /TASS/. Hainan Province's transition to the offshore model of customs control encourages the distribution of Chinese films in other countries, Chinese filmmaker Fan Lixin said.

"First of all, we have the Hainan International Film Festival (HIFF) - it's a very good platform. And tentatively, next year, Hainan may move to an offshore model," he pointed out at a forum held in Sanya during the 6th HIFF. "In fact, this is a unique climate <...> for international distribution [of Chinese films]."

Fan Lixin drew attention to the Hainan government's incentive policies, which provide special benefits for the development of the island's film industry. He called this support an "extremely important foundation" for film production.

Using the example of documentary films, the filmmaker pointed out the important role of film producers. He called them "a more active force" than TV channels and investment. Fan Lixin noted that this is not only common in Europe and the United States, but also in other countries.

The director also pointed out the key role of the intellectual property rights system, which allows a filmmaker to earn income from a film for decades. In this way, companies gain experience and have a "not too big" but constant source of capitalization, as the funds from the film go into the producer's pocket rather than to commercial platforms.

Hainan Film Festival

Recognized as one of China's most important film festivals, HIFF made its debut in December 2018. The large-scale event has hosted world-renowned actors and directors such as Jackie Chan, Nicolas Cage, Johnny Depp and Nuri Bilge Ceylan. This year it will be held from December 4 to 10 under the theme "From Oceans, With Visions".

Two Russian short films are also competing for the Golden Coconut Awards - "Murmur of August" by Daur Ladaria and "Fence" by Lev Evlampiev.

According to the official plan, in 2025, Hainan will shift to an offshore trade and economic development model, which means that the province's customs offices will cease to function in their current capacity. The necessary conditions for the transition have already been established, and the authorities are coordinating minor details of the new mechanism. The island's residents will be categorized as the territory's population with a special legal status, different from other regions in mainland China.