This list details banned movies that are not allowed to be shown in cinemas, TV stations, or on the Internet in China because they are accused by the government of the People's Republic of China of violating relevant laws and regulations, or because of other political factors.
Article 24 of China's "Regulations on the Administration of Movies" stipulates that "films that have not been censored by the film censorship agency of the State Council's administrative department of radio, film and television (hereinafter referred to as the film censorship agency) shall not be distributed, shown, imported or exported.
Definition The following is as broad a definition of a prohibited film as possible, and one of the following definitions is considered a prohibited work.
Illegal films are defined in Interpretation of Regulations on the Administration of Movies as "films that have not been approved for public exhibition by the competent state administrative authorities," or "banned films" in the common sense. Such films have not been censored or have skipped censorship, such as being entered into overseas film festivals without being submitted for review, or having illegal content or process. In 1994, the Ministry of Radio, Film and Television issued the "Notice on the Prohibition of Supporting and Assisting Zhang Yuan and Others to Make Films and Post-Processing", in which the illegal films mentioned in the file were marked as XXX. This was a ban on the production of films by drama groups; or the media used XX as the name of the film instead. Zhang Xianmin, "The History of Banned Films in Mainland China after 90": Banned film, is a title. A prohibited film. The range of prohibited actions are as follows.
Prohibition of filming Prohibition of distribution Prohibition of publicity Prohibition of the person concerned to continue working in the film industry, etc.
Banned films 1949–1995 After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese film industry was reconstructed after the Soviet system, and the film production and distribution system was implemented in a "government-enterprise" manner, producing and distributing films according to administrative directives. After the films were produced, they were censored by the Film Office or a higher state agency, and the films that passed the censorship were acquired by government-run distribution and projection companies for nationwide distribution and screening.
+ Title Time Director Actor Description Douban Page Sorrows of the Forbidden City清宫秘史 Released in 1948 (Hong Kong)Released in 1950 (China)Banned in 1950 Zhu Shilin Shu Shi, Zhou Xuan, Tang Ruojing, Hong Bo The film was made by Hong Kong Wing Wah Pictures in December 1948 and started to be screened in Beijing and Shanghai in March 1950, but was banned on May 3, 1950, because Mao Zedong called it a "traitorous film". 1439106 Sun and Man太阳和人 Banned in 1981 Peng Ning Liu Wenzhi, Huang Meiying 2200853 Wind of early summer初夏的风 Banned in 1982 Peng Ning, He Ping Wang Mingming, Shen Hong The film was shot in 1982, but was later banned, the reason for which is still unknown. 4154640Flying the Flag of the Republic飘扬，共和国的旗帜–Propaganda Department of the Political Work Department of the People's Liberation Army–Filmed in 1989, the documentary deals with the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre from the viewpoint of the Chinese Communist Party. After the Chinese government moved towards a total media blackout on the events, the movie was censored. Today, the documentary is effectively banned within China and not available in any Chinese video-sharing websites.None The Blue Kite蓝风筝 1993 at Foreign Film Festival Tian Zhuangzhuang Lü Liping, Pu Quanxin, Li Xuejian, Guo Baochang Filmed in 1992, the film involved several political movements in the early years of the People's Republic of China, and was entered into the 1993 Tokyo Film Festival without passing the censorship. The Chinese film delegation boycotted by withdrawing from the festival. None To Live活着 1994 Zhang Yimou Ge You, Gong Li, Niu Ben, Guo Tao, Jiang Wu The film was banned the same year of its release due to how it portrays events such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. 1292365 The Gate of Heavenly Peace天安门 US premiere in October 1995 Carma Hinton, Richard Gordon Dai Qing It deals with the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, which is considered a sensitive topic in China. The documentary was strongly boycotted by Chinese officials, who demanded that the film be withdrawn from the New York Film Festival. When negotiations failed, the Chinese side withdrew their entries and the Chinese directors withdrew from the competition. The documentary was only screened in Hong Kong. None
1996–2001 During this period, the "Regulations on the Administration of Movies" began to be implemented. In addition to the fact that the production unit must review itself before submitting it for review, it must also submit it to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) for the filing. Films that have been shot or imported from foreign countries will all be submitted for review, and only after approval can a "Film Public Screening Permit" be obtained. Chinese films are shown in gray background and ordered chronologically.
+ Title Year Director Actor Status Banned Description Douban Page Seven Years in Tibet 1997 Jean-Jacques Annaud Brad Pitt, David Thewlis Official ban The film was condemned by the government of the People's Republic of China, which stated that Communist Chinese military officers were intentionally shown as rude and arrogant, brutalizing the local people. The Chinese government also decried the film's positive portrayal of the 14th Dalai Lama. All future films produced by Sony were banned from playing in China. Annaud, Pitt, and Thewlis were initially banned from ever entering China. However, Annaud was since welcomed back to China in 2012 to chair the jury of the 15th annual Shanghai International Film Festival. In addition, Pitt subsequently visited China in 2014 and 2016. Sony was allowed to resume business in China in 1998. Red Corner 1997 Jon Avnet Richard Gere, Bai Ling, Bradley Whitford Official ban The film was banned for its negative portrayal of China's judicial system. The State Administration of Radio and Television (SARFT) sent a memorandum to Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and sent a letter to major Chinese studios requesting not to cooperate with MGM/United Artists, which produced Red Corner, arguing that the said film "maliciously attacked China". None Kundun 1997 Martin Scorsese – Official ban The film was banned its depiction of the annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China and its positive portrayal of the Dalai Lama. Disney produced and distributed the film despite objections China voiced during production, causing China to issue a temporary ban on all Disney films. The ban ended in 1999 with the release of Mulan, and the studio issued an apology during the early negotiation process to build Shanghai Disney Resort. None Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl天浴 1998 Joan Chen Li Xiaolu, Lopsang Prohibition of filming The content involves sensitive subjects of the Cultural Revolution and contains nude scenes. Joan Chen was banned from filming for three years for "illegally making films and participating in exhibitions abroad". None Inside the DMZ北纬38度线 2000 Wei Lian, Shi Wei, etc. Ding Xiaoyi, Zhang Yiming, etc. Prohibition of screening The Korean War film was shot at the August 1st Film Studio. The film was not screened together with the Chinese Central Television's TV drama "Resisting the U.S. in Korea", which was produced in the same year. 10535442 Suzhou River苏州河 2000 Lou Ye Zhou Xun, Jia Hongsheng Prohibition of screening On September 7, 2000, the film was released in Hong Kong and won the Golden Tiger Award at the 29th Rotterdam International Film Festival and the Best Film Award at the 15th Paris International Film Festival. The film was banned by the SARFT from being screened in mainland China because it was not submitted for review and joined the foreign film festival. 1299661 Kiss of the Dragon 2001 Chris Nahon Jet Li, Bridget Fonda Prohibition of screening There was information that the film was planned to be released in China, but it was not released allegedly because of the controversial murder scenario. 1299335 Shaolin Soccer少林足球 2001 Stephen Chow Stephen Chow,Zhao Wei, Ng Man-tat Prohibition of screening The film is a co-production and is prohibited from being shown in mainland China because it was released in Hong Kong before it was approved by the SARFT. The main producers of "Shaolin Soccer" have also suspended the various film businesses of and in the mainland. 1297747
2002–2017 The new version of the Regulations on the Administration of Movies, which came into effect on February 1, 2002, adding prohibited content, and added a detailed and lengthy explanation for this in the Interpretation of the Film Management Regulations. Chinese films are shown in gray background. Sorted chronologically.