Director: Ticket price key to movie industry

Award-winning director Feng Xiaoning says the ticket price of Chinese films should be lowered for domestic audiences.

The latest draft proposed by the film administration under the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television said discount tickets should not be lower than 70 percent of the full price. According to Feng, this needs to be revised.

"The tens of millions of people who watch the films are the backbone of the industry. Without them, Chinese films are dead," Feng says.

"If we raise the ticket bar too high, we may lose a wide range of audiences, especially those who are used to receiving a 50 percent discount. That equals giving the Chinese film industry a death sentence," Feng says, adding he agreed that the film ticket should be controlled under current circumstances.

China has agreed to open its market to more US films, allowing 14 premium format films, such as 3D and IMAX movies，which will be exempt from the quota. Lowering the ticket price of a Chinese movie is a way to tackle the challenge of upcoming Hollywood blockbusters, Feng says.