BEIJING, CHINA — The way of Chinese filmmaking has never been easy. After riding the sometimes brutal waves of political change, the nation’s film industry has become used to the fact it must function within varying degrees of government regulation, including outright idea-based censorship. While the topics and treatments have increased considerably since the days of the Cultural Revolution, some things are still deemed unacceptable. Not surprisingly, included in that category is hardcore sex.As of January 1st, 2008, any Chinese movie studio that produces a film featuring explicit sex risks losing permission to shoot anything within the country and its protectorates.

Additionally, Xinhua reports that the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television has assured studios that any producer, director, or performer in a release with erotic content will not only be denied the right to compete for film industry awards of any sort, but also to participate in an award show in any way.

The state-run Beijing News quoted from a new ordinance, which also bans the depiction of rape, sexual sound effects, vulgar language and song lyrics, stating that “The heaviest punishment for such violation would lead to a five-year ban of perpetrators from the movie industry.”

All major film studios and local regulators have been warned by censors that they will “bear their own responsibility in correcting the wrong deeds of producing erotic movies. Violating studios might face the harshest punishment of revoking permits for shooting films.”