The countries of the Mekong region do not yet have an established film industry and certainly no one-stop shops such as a Film Commission. Negotiating the bureaucratic maze is a complicated procedure for the uninitiated, but fortunately Hanuman Films has got it down to a fine art. In Asia, it’s not only what you know that counts, but who you know. Knowledge is power in the Mekong region and nobody knows the lie of the land better than Hanuman Films. Let us guide your production through the maze.

All feature films planning to shoot in Cambodia and the Mekong region first require script approval from the Cinema Department in the Ministry of Culture. This is a relatively straightforward process for an experienced servicing company such as Hanuman Films, but can be a nightmare for film-makers to navigate alone, with no experience of dealing with the local bureaucracy. It is rare for problems to arise, although governments are understandably concerned about their image and that of their country, and the portrayal of graphic violence given the region’s turbulent history. Script approval in Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam is a more complicated process than in Cambodia due to the nature of the governments in these countries, but with a little patience and a lot of hard work it is always possible to smooth things out.

Cinema departments in the Mekong region need to see the script in their mother tongue. This requires a translation of the script from English to Khmer, Lao, Vietnamese or Burmese. This is a straightforward process with Hanuman Films, as we have a team of translators with a sound grasp of technical language required for translating a complicated screenplay.

Most countries in the Mekong region operate a two-tier permissions system that first requires a general permission to shoot in the country from the Cinema Department at the Ministry of Culture. Using Cambodia as an example, while this permission is granted through the Cinema Department, for a major feature film the process may go to ministerial level and involve a decision on the part of the Council of Ministers. Hanuman Films enjoy contacts at the highest levels of government and our counsel is often crucial in ensuring a project progresses beyond this initial stage.

Following a general filming permission, it is then necessary to negotiate individual shooting permits at locations across the country, such as the temples of Angkor or the capital city of Phnom Penh. A filming permit for Angkor is costly by Cambodian standards, but very reasonable by international standards, as one permit includes access to all the principal temples. Different charges are levied for different productions, ranging from a small television crew of three or four to major international crews of 150 or more. Filming permits for cities allow for general filming in streets and markets, but for government buildings, major tourist attractions and private residences separate negotiations are necessary with the relevant authorities. At this point, our good relations with senior government figures come into play once more to ensure the production does not squander too much money feeding the little fish when the big fish are already on side.

Once the locations have been decided and the filming permissions arranged, it is time to sign a location contract at the more sensitive locations. Location contracts are the same as those used in Europe and the US at sensitive sites. The production enters into an agreement with the relevant authorities at a particular location to return the said location to the authorities in the same condition in which it was found. Location contracts aren’t always required in Cambodia and the Mekong region, but we advise productions to use them at every location to avoid any later legal complications after filming is complete.

All productions, big and small, need to arrange temporary import/re-export of all equipment coming into the region. The customs clearance is similar to customs clearance anywhere in the world and with a little organisation it is relatively easy to expedite anything. As long as the packing lists and paperwork is all in order from the consignee, Hanuman Films can arrange all the paperwork this end to clear equipment quickly and efficiently. Problems only arise if the paperwork is not first in order. We work with international clearing companies at our end and they can arrange shipping to all points within the Mekong region. Getting equipment out again at the end of the production is simple enough, as we are on hand to ensure all the paperwork is in order before commencing the shipping.