In mainland China, filmmakers operate under stringent regulations that require all productions to undergo content review and approval. Non-compliance may lead to fines, professional bans, or imprisonment. Those who explore politically sensitive themes, including human rights, ethnic issues, social inequality, and government policies, face heightened scrutiny. In addition to ideological restrictions, an extensive procedural framework imposes further barriers to freedom of expression. To obtain the necessary shooting and screening permits, filmmakers must often make substantial revisions that limit their artistic, technical, and political choices. Without these permits, films are excluded from public distribution, effectively silencing both the filmmaker and the subjects they seek to represent. Meanwhile, state-backed ‘main melody’ productions receive extensive support, reinforcing a market environment that marginalises independent voices. Those distributing unauthorised content risk prosecution under sweeping laws beyond media regulations. The precarious system, coupled with emotional and financial strain, may compel filmmakers to abandon projects entirely. This chapter argues that censorship in China operates not as a reaction to dissent, but as a proactive system that shapes filmmaking from the outset, embedding creative constraints within legal frameworks. And yet, many persist, raising awareness and challenging the limits of expression, even as their voices are silenced within a carefully orchestrated backdrop.