Sci-fi Film Week | Opening Ceremony and Press Conference of the Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City in Songjiang

With a focus on the deep integration of “science fiction + film”, on the morning of June 17, the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival’s Sci-fi Film Week opened with a ceremony with the Press Conference of the Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City held in Songjiang District, aiming to explore the mutual empowerment of artificial intelligence and science fiction movie. The event also included the inaugural ceremony for Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City Film and Television Talent Base and the signing ceremony for the AI Creation Ecology Center.

Cheng Xiangmin, Secretary of the Songjiang District Committee of CPC, welcomed the leaders and guests attending the opening ceremony of Sci-fi Film Week with a speech. He pointed out that over the past year, Sci-fi Film Week has made significant progress, establishing recognition and focus. Building upon this foundation, Sci-fi Film Week aims to establish a clear historical position and adhere to two principles: first, grasp the “red line” by consistently learning and implementing Xi Jinping’s cultural ideology during the construction of Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City, maintaining cultural confidence and leveraging the entire process of high-quality development in film. Second, uphold technological innovation as a driving force, deeply understanding the important trend of empowering Sci-fi Film Week with technology, especially inspiring strong interest among youth in leading future technological innovations.

Cao Jun, Member of the Party Group and Deputy Secretary-General of the China Film Association, highlighted the rapid development of modern technology and pointed out that the distance between “science” and “fiction” is continuously narrowing. Many sci-fi scenes that originally existed only in movies have now become reality. With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, science fiction films will become one of the future orientations of China’s film industry. Filmmakers in the new era must continuously explore innovation, create more outstanding Chinese-style science fiction works that resonate with Chinese national sentiments, utilize innovative and creative modernizations with a Chinese flavor, and demonstrate Chinese confidence, openness, inclusiveness, and express expectations for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Pan Min, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of Shanghai Municipal Committee of CPC and Director of the Shanghai Civilization Office, introduced this year’s Sci-fi Film Week activities. Centered around the theme of “artificial intelligence + film”, Sci-fi Film Week continues to offer rich content, an exciting film lineup, diverse formats, and clear themes. Pan Min pointed out that after years of unremitting efforts, Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City has gathered a large number of key projects such as the Yangtze River Delta International Film and Video Center and the Shanghai Film Shooting Base, launching a series of outstanding works under the “Shanghai Culture” brand, including the films NICE VIEW and NO MORE BETS, and TV dramas BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI and NEVER STOP, with the brand effect, concentration, recognition, and influence increasing year by year. As Shanghai’s number one project in building a global film and television creation center, Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City is providing a more vibrant and vivid practical example for the development of industrialization and modernization in the film and television industry.

Gu Jianbin, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Publicity Department of the Songjiang District Committee of CPC, introduced Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City during the event. He outlined the construction and development of Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City from core area development into a new era, the increasingly expansive industrial cluster, continued optimization of the business environment, and significantly enhanced brand influence. Currently, Songjiang, Shanghai has 20 professional film shooting bases and studios, 45 distinctive film and television shooting locations, and more than 8,000 film and television enterprises gathered here. Plans are in place to establish a development pattern encompassing “dual-core drive, four-zone linkage, and eight-point pioneering effect” across the entire district, creating a leading industry cluster center for science and technology film and television and a window for global cultural exchanges in film and television.

To further streamline the mechanism for serving film and television talents, Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City has developed the “Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City Film and Television Talent Home” brand, tailored to the needs of film and television talents in Songjiang, providing personalized basic services such as policy consultation and information dissemination, as well as unique accommodation services such as housing and personalized reception for crews, ensuring talents are attracted, retained, and utilized effectively. During the opening ceremony, Ding Ting, Deputy Head of the Organization Department of the Songjiang District Committee of CPC and Director of the District Talent Bureau, and He Jinfeng, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the Songjiang District Committee of CPC and Secretary of the District Culture and Tourism Bureau, presented plates to eight enterprises including Premier Link Future Community and the Shanghai Science and Technology Film City Planning Exhibition Hall.

Artificial intelligence is becoming the engine of new quality productivity in the film and television industry. With strong support from the Songjiang District Government, Shanghai Film Group has launched the Shanghai High-tech Films and Televisions City AI Creation Ecology Center, to draw on local computing power resources in Songjiang and abundant film and television industry resources. Using a combination of “computing power pool + film and television application scenarios”, it aims to vigorously promote the construction of Shanghai as a global film and television creation center. At the opening ceremony, Chen Rong, Deputy Head of Songjiang District, and Wang Juan, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of Shanghai Film Group, signed for his project.

Young AI scientist and expert in digital content generation at AIGC, Dai Bo, delivered a speech titled “Venture into AIGC and the ‘Ice Age’ of Film”. Starting from the ‘Ice Age’ of Film”, Dai Bo discussed how the deep integration of film art and computer science profoundly influences today’s film genres and production systems. Drawing from his own research experience, Dai Bo also provided unique insights into how AI can more efficiently and comprehensively support the development of the film industry chain.

Director, screenwriter, and producer Huang Jianxin, producer and screenwriter Wang Hongwei, film art director Huo Tingxiao, and science fiction writer Wang Jinkang took the stage to share their ideas on the current state of science fiction film creation.

This year’s Sci-fi Film Week focuses on the theme of “artificial intelligence + film”, featuring activities such as sci-fi film screenings, sci-fi film forums, sci-fi literature IP/project promotion, and the “Future Engine: Night of Movie Heroes”, which will explore the mutual empowerment of artificial intelligence and science fiction films, to stimulate filmmakers’ imagination and creativity, and create a futuristic celebration of light and shadow.