American producer Andre Morgan speaks at a forum held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Shanghai on Sunday during the ongoing 15th Shanghai International Film Festival. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Andre Morgan, who has been instrumental in introducing Chinese films to the West, told a forum Sunday, as part of the ongoing 15th Shanghai International Film Festival, that Chinese filmmakers are "not ready" to go international. He said that instead, Chinese filmmakers should "concentrate on your domestic market" into build a strong base.

"If you have a strong base, you can always go international while other people are running away," he explained, with an eye on the market competition.

Morgan, who has been based in Hong Kong for four decades and produced many award-winning films and TV series, is optimistic about the Chinese film industry's prospects. "The future of the Chinese film industry has never been brighter," he said.

Morgan, however, does not believe that all is rosy. "The Chinese film industry is now at a crossroads," he warned. – "[At] the moment, the Chinese film industry is almost at a standstill."

Morgan said he understands that Chinese filmmakers and investors are afraid of the competitive pressure brought about by an import quota of 34 Hollywood movies. However, he said that this was not the real problem facing Chinese filmmakers. "The essential problem is that it is hard for young directors, very hard for young writers, even harder for young actors to get a chance to be in movies," he said.

To counteract this, Morgan cited the importance of providing support for filmmakers and distribution companies, especially through government and private sector channels.

In addition, he called on China to build more theater and distribution chains and to protect the filmmakers' rights through a more transparent legal framework.