China, MPAA team on short film contest

University competition promotes antipiracy

By CLIFFORD COONAN

The Chinese government and the MPAA have launched a short film competish for university students to promote antipiracy regulations.

First prize is a trip to Hollywood and Disneyland.

Budding filmmakers will submit one-minute shorts in three formats -- digital video, animation and mobile phone movie.

Contest, launched over the weekend by the Beijing Student Film Festival and the Motion Picture of America Assn., will popularize knowledge of intellectual property rights protection among Chinese young people, according to the organizers.

Effort is the latest by Chinese regulators to improve the country's poor record on piracy.

The MPAA is working with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the Ministry of Culture and the China Film Copyright Protection Assn. to combat wide-scale piracy.