Screening Venues for the 26th SIFF Announced

This afternoon, the mobilization meeting for the 2024 Shanghai International Film and Television Festivals took place, where the screening venues for the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) and for International TV Showcase of the 29th Shanghai Television Festival (STVF) were announced.

Guided by China Film Administration and hosted by China Media Group and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, the 26th SIFF will take place from June 14 to 23. The “City of Film” extends a heartfelt invitation to movie enthusiasts. This year’s festival will feature 53 screening venues across Shanghai, covering 47 theaters in 16 districts, including the “Five New Urban Areas” and 6 theaters in 5 cities of the Yangtze River Delta region.

Lyceum Theater Makes Debut and Cathay Theatre Returns Refurbished

In March, SIFF, in collaboration with the Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Association, initiated the recruitment of screening venues. Based on standards emphasizing stable equipment, advanced technology, comprehensive services, rich experience, and convenient transportation, 47 theaters across the city were selected as official screening venues after rigorous selection.

This year, SIFF introduces 8 new screening venues, including the Lyceum Theatre, JUCE Shanghai Centre Theatre, SFC Cinema (Guohua Plaza), SFC Cinema (Innovation Galaxy), MOViE MOViE Cinema (Taikoo Li Qiantan), Lingang Performing Arts Center, CGV Cinema (Crystal Plaza, Dolby 4DXScreen), and CGV Cinema (Songjiang Incity, Dolby 4DXScreen).

Among the newly introduced venues, the most notable is the 93-year-old Lyceum Theatre, one of China’s oldest Western-style theaters and a cultural landmark of old Shanghai. Renovated in 2020 and reopened in 2022, the theater retains its original architectural details. The upgraded auditorium combines modern retro fashion elements with 18th-century Roman architectural heritage, offering film enthusiasts an immersive journey back to old Shanghai and a taste of the iconic landmarks of the “City of Performing Arts”.

SIFF has always featured culturally rich screening venues. Alongside the newly renovated Shanghai Film Art Center and the historic Grand Theatre, other notable venues include the Majestic Theatre, Wanping Theatre, FANCL Art Center (Yihai Theater), and Hongqiao Performing Arts Centre. This year, the historic Cathay Theatre and Poly International Cinema (Shanghai Expo Centre) also return. The festival poster prominently features the Grand Theatre, Shanghai Film Art Center, Cathay Theatre, and Lyceum Theatre, symbolizing their joint effort to illuminate the cultural landscape of the “City of Film” and warmly welcome film enthusiasts.

Located at No. 870 Huaihai Road (M), the Cathay Theatre, a landmark repeatedly mentioned in the novel “Blossoms”, reopened early this year after an upgrade. The theater’s typical Art Deco style is preserved, with marble floors retaining their beige and brown patterns, and mosaic stairs restored to their original state. The film reel-themed door frames also convey a sense of history. The largest screening hall, Hall 2, with 233 seats, will host this year’s festival screenings.

Ticket Sales Begin at Noon on June 7

This year, 47 screening venues in Shanghai cover 16 districts, including the five new urban areas in Jiading, Qingpu, Songjiang, Fengxian, and Nanhui. The venues continue to feature advanced audiovisual equipment, including IMAX, DOLBY, Onyx LED, CINITY, and LUXE, to ensure an upgraded viewing experience.

During the festival, the “Belt and Road” Film Week will continue the “Yangtze River Delta Screening”, showcasing the latest works from filmmakers from Belt and Road countries in 6 theaters across Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Hefei. Film enthusiasts in these regions can enjoy a film feast close to home.

To offer high-quality viewing experiences, the organizing committee of SIFF, in collaboration with the Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Association, will conduct training and assessments on service standards, safety measures, and emergency protocols at the screening venues, to enhance the quality of film screenings and ensure top-notch service for film enthusiasts.

Tickets for this year’s festival will be available at noon on June 7 on the designated ticketing platform Taopiaopiao. Online ticket sales will open an hour before offline sales at each screening venue. Screenings in Nanjing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Hefei will launch ticket sales at noon on June 8 on Taopiaopiao.