Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, jury president of the 2009 Shanghai International Film Festival, participated in a panel discussion about filmmaking on Thursday. (Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press)British director Danny Boyle championed the shedding of an "imperialist" mentality when filming abroad and gently urged freedom for movie-making peers in China during a panel discussion at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

The Oscar-winning filmmaker, whose recent hit Slumdog Millionaire has made more than $350 million US worldwide, is serving as jury president for the 12th annual edition of the Chinese film festival.

Taking part in a discussion in a Shanghai hotel ballroom on Thursday, Boyle made a plea for Chinese filmmakers to be given freedom to pursue their art.

"I know there are restrictions on filmmakers, which from our perspective, are regrettable. Great artists who work here — and there clearly are great artists — should be free. It's very important and valuable to the society that they are free," he said before a packed audience.

In China, filmmakers must submit their scripts as well as the completed movies to a government board of censors, who can demand changes before the titles are approved for screening.

Even world-renowned Oscar-winning Ang Lee was ordered to edit his film Lust, Caution to cast a Chinese character in a better light, while noted director Lou Ye received a five-year ban on filmmaking in China after he screened his 2006 movie Summer Palace at the Cannes Film Festival without gaining official permission (he debuted his surreptitiously shot Spring Fever in Cannes earlier this year).

Boyle also offered up his view that, in the future, Western movie crews shooting in foreign cities will have to change and work with local technicians and experts, rather than bringing along what he likened to an invading army. He shared his own experiences as example, juxtaposing his 2000 drama The Beach, for which he brought 200 crew members to the Thailand set, with the much more nimble team of 10 he brought to work with the local Indian crew on Slumdog.

"The imperialist or colonial days — you have to forget all that," Boyle said.

He also said he was eager to film in China.

"Given an invitation to come and work here, I'd love to work here," he said, quipping that "it would be a challenge learning Mandarin."

The Shanghai International Film Festival concludes on Sunday.

With files from The Associated Press