The methylcellulose was mixed with chitosan as well as 4% of sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate to form a film. Investigations of the antimycotic activity of the film on Penicillium notatum and Rhodotorula rubra revealed that it possessed significant antifungal properties. At 25C, approximately 43–45% of the preservatives were released from the film to the glycerol‐water mixture in the first 30 min. The maximum amount of preservative that could be released from the film at 25C was approximately 57–65%. At 4C, 38–39% of preservatives were released from the film within 30 min, and reached a maximum amount of 49% in approximately 6h. The FT‐IR spectrum showed that the ionic interaction between ‐COO of preservatives and ‐NH3+ of chitosan existed in the film. However, the incorporation of preservatives did not affect the tensile strength and elongation property of the methylcellulose/chitosan film.