“Smooth” Ticket Sales for SIFF with Most Main Competition Selection Sold Out “Instantly”

Ticket sales for the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) officially opened at noon today on the designated platform, Taopiaopiao. An hour later, 47 cinemas participating in the screenings began offline ticket sales. This year, SIFF continued to provide fans with a “smooth” ticket purchasing experience through a stable system.

The main competition unit was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from film enthusiasts. More than half of the 14 films selected by the Golden Goblet Award main competition unit were sold out “within seconds” of ticket release. These include the Chinese films A MAN AND A WOMAN, DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY, THE HEDGEHOG, and STARFALL, as well as international films such as the Spanish film A BATHROOM OF ONE'S OWN, the German film ANOTHER GERMAN TANK STORY, the Italian film HER SECOND CHANCE, and the Japanese film LIVING IN TWO WORLDS. Subsequently, SILENCE OF THE SEASHELL and THE WASTEMAN were also sold out.

The festive atmosphere of the "City of Films" is growing stronger, with fans eagerly anticipating the days of cinematic celebration.

350,000 Tickets Sold in One Hour&Surge in Enthusiasm from Non-Local Fans

At noon, film enthusiasts' excitement was instantly ignited. The online seating charts turned red within seconds, and popular films were sold out within minutes. The ticket grabbing process was stable and smooth. According to the one-hour ticket sales report released by Taopiaopiao, 36 films and 200 screenings were sold out within the first 10 minutes.

In the first hour, 286,000 people participated simultaneously, with 350,000 tickets sold. The high quality of SIFF screenings has been recognized by domestic fans. Today's ticket sales data shows that 29.3% of ticket buyers are from regions outside Shanghai, with significant participation from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Beijing, and Guangdong in the Yangtze River Delta region.

In terms of user distribution, male users accounted for 35.7% and female users 64.3%. Young film enthusiasts remain the main force in SIFF ticket purchases, with 18-24 year-olds making up 33% and 25-29 year-olds accounting for 30%.

Data on highly anticipated films have been swiftly released, garnering significant attention from many film enthusiasts. Among the screened films, 36 were sold out within just 10 minutes. The ten fastest-selling popular films were THE SINKING OF LISBON MARU, DETECTIVE CONAN: THE MILLION-DOLLAR PENTAGRAM, A MAN AND A WOMAN, DEEP SKY (IMAX/4K), SE7EN (IMAX/4K), 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (IMAX/4K), KANGXI AND LOUIS XIV, PERFECT DAYS (4K), FLOW (4K), and QUEEN ROCK MONTREAL (IMAX/4K).

Among the most popular films, PAPRIKA (4K), THE HEDGEHOG, and PULP FICTION (4K) held the top three spots in terms of user interest.

PAPRIKA (4K)

THE HEDGEHOG

PULP FICTION (4K)

The smooth online ticket purchasing experience for fans should be attributed to the hard work behind the scenes. To ensure a stable and seamless ticketing experience, Taopiaopiao's technical team comprehensively upgraded the ticketing system and related technical support solutions. Over 60 dedicated technical engineers conducted end-to-end tests before ticket sales began. The highest traffic volume for SIFF ticket sales previously occurred in 2023, and this year, the ticketing system's capacity was expanded to three times the 2023 peak, effectively ensuring all session seats successfully sold out within a minute.

Fans' enthusiasm continues to soar. As of 20:00 on the 7th, 529 sessions had been sold out. The technical team reminds fans to make full use of the "My Schedule" feature on Taopiaopiao as an effective tool for securing tickets. One hour after ticket sales began today, fans continued to "hunt for treasures", with an additional 600,000 sessions added to "My Schedule" over the next seven hours.

89-Year-Old Actor Secures His Favorite Film&Foreign Fan Scores a Godard Ticket

To assist elderly film enthusiasts who are not adept at using smartphones for ticket purchases, 47 screening cinemas opened offline ticketing channels an hour after online sales began. At the Shanghai Film Art Center, many fans queued up for offline ticket purchases, stating that they "mostly wanted to meet old friends" and "experience the ceremonial aspect of the film festival".

At the front of the queue, Mr. Ning arrived at the Shanghai Film Art Center by 10 AM. "I was ready to start grabbing tickets online at noon. If I couldn't get them, I'd stay in line for any offline tickets that might become available. It's part of the ritual for a true film fan," he said. This year, SIFF will host over 90 post-screening meet-and-greet events, which are a huge draw for Mr. Ning. "Getting to interact closely with filmmakers at the Shanghai Film Art Center is a rare opportunity. This is a special treat for fans from SIFF." Once online ticket sales began, Mr. Ning successfully secured three tickets for the popular film THE HEDGEHOG and promptly collected them from the ticket collection machine at the Shanghai Film Art Center.

At 89 years old, veteran actor Li Changnian, who lives in Jing'an District, arrived at the Shanghai Film Art Center shortly after 11 AM. Known for his role in the classic 1990 TV series THE INVESTITURE OF THE GODS, Li worked at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and STV before retiring. At the ticket office, Li, who isn't adept at online ticketing, handed his handwritten list of desired films to the staff. The staff helped him add GASLIGHT, BREATHLESS (4K), 3 DAYS, 3 MURDERS, and MEGALOPOLIS to his Taopiaopiao "My Schedule". With their assistance, Li ultimately secured tickets for these films.

Li Changnian's handwritten film list

Staff assisting Li Changnian with ticket purchases

"Sold out for PULP FICTION, sold out for THE PIANIST, sold out for 100 YEN LOVE," announced the staff at the Shanghai Film Art Center less than 15 minutes after online sales began, posting "Sold Out" signs on the screening schedule in the lobby. Seeing the "Sold Out" sign next to ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (4K), Arina, a foreign journalist from the Shanghai Daily and a Russian national, exclaimed, "The film I wanted to see is sold out!"

However, Arina shared that her top pick was still Jean-Luc Godard's BREATHLESS (4K). "Breathless is a French romance film from the 1960s. I wrote my college thesis on Godard and have never had the chance to see this film on the big screen."

Arina, unfamiliar with the online ticketing process, decided to try her luck with offline ticket sales. After the offline ticketing channel officially opened, she carefully examined the screening schedule at the ticket office. Seeing that BREATHLESS still had available tickets, she quickly made the purchase and received two tickets from the staff. Arina, unable to contain her excitement, remarked, "Watching BREATHLESS at a cinema with top-notch audiovisual effects will be an extraordinary experience!"

Arina successfully secures her desired tickets

For many film enthusiasts who missed out on the hottest tickets online, trying for “last-minute tickets offline” has become a common practice. Mr. Zhang, a young film fan, is one of them. While his friends tried to secure tickets online, he waited at the Shanghai Film Art Center. When he couldn't get his desired tickets, he quickly decided to try nearby cinemas. He biked from the Shanghai Film Art Center to the FANCL Arts Center (Yihai Theater), only to find that ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA had just sold out. "The offline ticket hunt feels even more dramatic than online, like ‘missing a date with a lover’," Zhang humorously said. "Next, we're heading to the Grand Cinema. I feel there's still a chance. I managed to get offline tickets for 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY in previous years, and this year it's being screened in IMAX. I'm hoping to find some leftover tickets."

Fans successfully purchasing tickets on-site

Whether online or offline, the thrill of securing tickets is part of the charm of SIFF. Regardless of whether they get their desired tickets, SIFF remains a festival where film fans gather and celebrate. Savoring classic films amidst the city lights and cherishing every beautiful moment in this cinematic city is what makes SIFF so enchanting.