SIFF MARKET Concludes, Continues as Industry Barometer

What is the Shanghai International Film Festival? For film enthusiasts, it is an “upmarket restaurant” where they can savor a feast of outstanding films. For filmmakers, it is a “grand party” where they can joyfully gather with their peers from China and abroad. And for industry professionals, it is a “super-platform” to learn about trends in the global film industry and explore business opportunities both domestically and internationally.

“I work in the film industry park service, and this is my tenth time participating in SIFF,” said Chen Xuchun from Shanghai Cangcheng Screen Culture Industrial Park during an interview for the show GOLDEN GOBLETS SALON on June 12. At the SIFF MARKET, he paid special attention to the trends of current film genres because “they are our clients.”

Lin Xiaoqian, a staff member of Chongqing Film Producers’ Association who, with her colleagues, showcased the excellent filming locations in Chongqing at SIFF MARKET, attracting the attention of representatives from many production companies. “Chongqing is known as an ‘8D magical city’ and offers diverse filming locations that many directors and actors favor,” she said. “We come to the SIFF MARKET also to promote Chongqing’s film policies and the convenience that we provide to crews.”

A Strong Offline Comeback, Unfading Global Influence

Returning offline, this year’s SIFF MARKET was located at The Longemont Shanghai, attracting hundreds of professional exhibitors covering the entire film industry chain, including production and distribution, shooting bases, content production, post-production, film schools, investment and financing, and technical support.

Strolling through the exhibition hall, film production companies such as Shanghai Film Group, Changchun Film Group, Xiao Xiang Pictures, Inner Mongolia Film Studio, Roskino, and Evo Pictures (Malaysia) unveiled a plethora of projects, demonstrating their full confidence in the film market.

The booths of distribution companies such as Teamer International Media, Blue Media Times, HY Media, and Huashi Wangju were also eye-catching. In fact, the internationalization of film distribution has become an important topic: it is necessary to consider how to better import and export films. Exhibitors from the film distribution industry engaged in discussions with industry buyers, exploring the new trends in distribution. It has become evident that films from different countries are increasingly focusing on local stories within the context of the times. The question of how to effectively distribute films with unique cultural characteristics on international platforms has become a new task.

SIFF MARKET, with its 30 years of history and international influence, coupled with the immense potential of the Chinese film market, has garnered great attention from industry professionals both at home and abroad. Despite the return to offline this year, the “International Film & TV Online Market,” which was introduced a few years ago, has been retained, with its overseas appeal undiminished. Numerous overseas film and television industry organizations eagerly participated, including Greek Content, Brazilian Content, Content Thailand, TBS, MBS, France TV Distribution, and Vienna Film Commission. The Online Market attracted overseas exhibitors with nearly 300 projects, building a bridge for domestic buyers to find high-quality content and for domestic exhibitors and overseas buyers to communicate.

A New Era That Emphasizes Promotion and Presentation

Undoubtedly, the comeback of the offline SIFF MARKET after three years is facing a different international economic and cultural environment. The rise of online platforms has somewhat diverted transactions from offline channels. So why does the SIFF MARKET continue to attract a large number of professional exhibitors? The words of Chen Airong, from Sanling (Shanghai) Cultural and Creative Co Ltd, one of the exhibitors, may offer some insight. She mentioned that in the era of new media communication, many traditional industries need better dissemination through film and television. Targeted promotion through the SIFF MARKET, and a professional platform where industry insiders gather, can be more effective.

Shanghai Chedun Film Shooting Base (Shanghai Film Park), where Chen Airong’s company is located, epitomizes the industry’s exploration and transformation in the new era. She revealed that the base is already undergoing the transformation of traditional industries. With the film park as its core, an industrial ecosystem is being built in the surrounding towns: “For example, transforming old factories into film studios and driving the transformation of old industrial estates,” she said. In addition, the film industry can promote the integration of culture and tourism and propel local economic development.

This type of exhibition is not solely for “on-site signing,” but also for promotion and presentation. In fact, many exhibitors have the same goals in mind. The SIFF MARKET has also targeted this new trend and organized the “Action! – International Film and TV Shooting Location Promotion Conference,” attracting a group of exhibitors from home and abroad to introduce local resources, support policies, and spruik successful cases. Organizations such as Thailand Film Office Commercial Promotion Department, Iskandar Malaysia Studios, the Public Diplomacy Office of the Consulate General of Greece in Shanghai, the Chengdu Film and Television Service Center, and Chongqing Movie City in Jiangjin District, Chongqing, provided detailed information about local film shooting conditions, policies and application processes, and service measures. These attracted the interest of production companies.

The Yangtze River Delta Film and Shooting Base Alliance, established three years ago at the SIFF MARKET, launched the “Initiative for Collaborative Mechanisms in Film Production Services” at this year’s market. It proposed three initiatives: building a “film production service system,” establishing a “film production information cloud platform,” and forming “filming location growth mechanisms.” The aim is to create an integrated service and operation mechanism and achieve cooperation and development in the film industry across regions. This initiative may not involve direct “offline transactions,” but exert a significant influence on film industry institutions, showing that the film market is moving in new directions.

Exploring Future Possibilities: Sci-Fi Takes Center Stage

SIFF MARKET, known as the “barometer” of the Chinese film industry, not only reflects the current industry dynamics but also showcases future trends that the international industry pays attention to. This year, artificial intelligence has become a hot topic worldwide, and the film industry, closely related to technological advancements, naturally pays great attention. In line with this trend, in addition to jointly hosting the Sci-Fi Film Week with Songjiang District, the SIFF MARKET explored the infinite possibilities of future sci-fi films at the “Film & TV IP Development Conference” held during the market.

The birth of new technologies always stirs significant conceptual disagreements, and the SIFF MARKET provides a platform for these divergent views to clash, and for the industry to contemplate and digest them fully. Take artificial intelligence generated content (AIGC) as an example. Can it replace human imagination? Sci-fi writer Aque believes that ChatGPT is still “young” and hasn’t “learned to walk” yet, but he believes that one day it will be able to independently complete a novel, “such as writing a true sequel to ‘The Three-Body Problem’.” However, another sci-fi writer, Lu Ban, believes that ChatGPT cannot help him because people “don’t want an immediate answer, but prefer to explore on their own.”

Such exchanges are not only of interest to industry professionals. Chen Xuchun, who came to showcase the park’s policies, found them equally fascinating as an ordinary viewer. “For this year’s SIFF, I am most looking forward to the Sci-Fi Film Week,” Chen said. “I am a fan of sci-fi films, and I particularly love ‘The Three-Body Problem’ series. I hope that SIFF, as a major platform, can facilitate the development of more sci-fi films.” Songjiang District in Shanghai, where he works, is actively building the Shanghai Sci-Tech Film City. He believes that getting more insights into the latest trends and development of the high-tech film industry at SIFF MARKET is a rare opportunity for him to “recharge.”

Besides discussions directly related to the content of films, the SIFF MARKET also held the “Report Launch - Research on Development and Protection of Intellectual Property for China Film-Video Industry (2022)”. Practical experiences were shared from two perspectives: “The Ice and Fire of Film Licensing Market” and “Prospects of IP Creation by AI.” Issues such as the compliance of AI creation, the ownership and legitimacy of generated works, and the risks and precautions of using AI for creation were discussed, in an effort to safeguard film and television IP.

The global film market faces new challenges, but the characteristics of the SIFF MARKET are becoming more distinct, and its industry-leading role is increasingly prominent. This not only reflects the industry’s recognition of the platform but also relies on the strong support of China’s massive film market. The ever-evolving SIFF MARKET is also striving to reach every corner of the industry and continue to improve its effectiveness and value as the industry “barometer.”