A Dazzling New Cinematic Experience for the Whole City – Honoring 120 Years of Cinematic Legacy - Overview material for the Opening of the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival

As gentle rains grace Shanghai, a new chapter of cinematic storytelling begins. On June 13, under the guidance of the China Film Administration and jointly hosted by China Media Group and Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) raises its grand curtain. In this momentous year - the 130th anniversary of world cinema and the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema - Shanghai, the city of film, will transform into a dynamic celebration of light and shadow. Over the next ten days, it will captivate cinephiles and global audiences alike.

Light and Shadow Interwoven for an Amazing Tapestry on Silver Screen

Shanghai, the cradle of Chinese cinema, has shared a deep, symbiotic bond with film for over a century. This year’s Golden Goblet Awards span five major categories: Main Competition, Asian New Talent, Documentary, Animation, and Short Film. A record-breaking over 3,900 films from 119 countries and regions have been submitted for both the Golden Goblet Awards selection and the global call for entries, setting a new milestone in the festival’s history. Following a rigorous selection process, 49 works from 28 countries and regions have made it to the final stages of the five categories. Among them, 38 will have their world premieres, 8 international premieres, and 3 Asian premieres. Among the 12 titles selected for the Main Competition, 11 will be unveiled to the world for the first time, while 1 will mark its international debut. This edition sees a remarkable presence of Latin American cinema - three films from the region have been shortlisted by the Main Competition for the very first time: AFTER THE FOG, CYCLONE, and THE REBORN. Chinese-language films also make a powerful showing. In the Main Competition, the entries include Cao Baoping’s ONE WACKY SUMMER, Qiu Sheng’s MY FATHER’S SON, and Wang Tong’s debut feature WILD NIGHTS, TAMED BEASTS. Beyond these, five Chinese-language films make waves in the Asian New Talent section: Bian Zhuo’s AS THE WATER FLOWS, Cheng Liang’s ODDS BEATER, Qiu Yujie’s SEVEN DAYS, Shi Renfei’s THE LAST SUMMER, and Fang Liang’s WATER CAN GO ANYWHERE. Xu Huijing’s CATCHERS ON THE MOON earned its spot in the Documentary section. In the Animation category, two Chinese productions shine: EDGE OF TIME, co-directed by Li Wei, Weng Ming, and two Japanese filmmakers, and Zhang Gang’s TOM & JERRY: FORBIDDEN COMPASS. The Live-action Short Film section features Luo Zhaoguang’s A STORY ABOUT WINTER, Xu Rui’s CHILDREN OF THE LAND, Xu Jianming’s CROW, and Bo Hanxiong’s NO ONE KNOWS I DISAPPEARED. Finally, Xu Zao’s LOVE MUSIC FRIEND has been selected for the Animated Short Film section.

The Golden Goblet Awards, upholding an uncompromising commitment to global perspective and cultural inclusivity, celebrate the tradition of rigorous standards with a star-studded jury panel beyond a consistently high premiere ratio. The jury for this year’s awards is led by acclaimed Italian filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore and includes 21 members from 13 countries and regions across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. “The art of harmony lies in blending differences” - The jury with diverse cultural backgrounds will evaluate 12 films in the Main Competition, 12 films in the Asian New Talent section, 5 documentaries, 5 animated films, 10 live-action short films, and 5 animated short films to determine the winners of the Golden Goblet trophies. True to the idea that “harmony arises from diversity,” this multicultural jury will evaluate films across all sections, from feature-length entries to short films and animation. Notably, the Asian New Talent jury is the youngest in SIFF’s history, with members born in the 1980s, 1990s, and even 2000s—the average age is just 35.

As the citywide screenings commence on June 13, the Gala Night and the Red Carpet of the Gala Night will take place on the evening of June 14 at the iconic Shanghai Grand Theatre with its signature constellation of stars. The crew of the opening film SHE’S GOT NO NAME alongside teams of major summer releases such as DONGJI Rescure, A Cool Fish 2, The Lychee Road, and THE SHADOW’S EDGE, as well as creators from entries in the Main Competition and Asian New Talent sections and international jury members - over 200 luminaries from across the globe – will add glamour to the fascinating shores of the Huangpu River.

Chinese and global cinema have long evolved in resonance, with rich exchanges that contribute to cultural understanding and shared progress. This year carries special diplomatic significance: the 50th anniversary of China–EU relations, 55 years of China–Italy relations, and 50 years of China–Thailand diplomatic ties. It is against this meaningful backdrop that world-renowned Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore - approaching his seventieth year - has accepted the role of presiding over the Jury for Main Competition of Golden Goblet Awards. In a heartfelt invitation extended to filmmakers around the globe on behalf of SIFF, Tornatore declares: “A film festival is not only a celebration of cinema itself - it is also a rare moment when filmmakers from diverse nations come together to share ideas, exchange visions, and honor cinematic artistry.” A cornerstone of SIFF, the Belt and Road Film Week - held in collaboration with Shanghai’s Pudong New Area - will welcome 25 distinguished guests from 22 countries and regions representing the Belt and Road Film Alliance and partner nations, bringing fresh vitality into global cinematic exchange and collaboration. Among a vibrant array of cultural events, there will be the Belt and Road Film Culture Round Table Talk, the Southeast Asian-themed Market, and the Charm Pudong Gala Night. Audiences will be delighted with a curated selection of 15 films from the alliance’s member countries, each distinct in style, offering a richly layered portrait of the Silk Road through a kaleidoscope of cultural perspectives. Actors Huang Xiaoming, Yu Shi, and actress Tiffany Tang will serve as Ambassadors for this year’s Belt and Road Film Week.

Industry Dynamo to Pass the Torch through 120 Years of Cinematic Heritage

As China’s sole international competitive feature film festival, SIFF is garnering increasing global attention while assuming an ever more vital role in boosting the high-quality development of Chinese cinema. The year 2025 marks a milestone—the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema since its birth in 1905. At this significant historical moment, SIFF honors this rich legacy while propelling Chinese cinema into a new chapter. SIFFORUM this edition will organize eight thematic symposiums alongside three SIFF MasterClass sessions (including two “Masterclasses”). The opening session, under the theme “Era of Splendor: Dreams Ignite New Journeys”, will undertake dual missions: a retrospective celebration of Chinese cinema’s 120-year heritage, coupled with forward-looking discourse on cultivating distinctive competitive advantages in global markets to amplify international cultural influence.

“Chinese Movie Blockbuster Showcase”, a flagship industry showcase created by SIFF, returns with renewed vitality. It will spotlight nine major Chinese-language productions anticipated to shape the cinematic landscape of 2025—ranging from summer blockbusters to the year’s most highly awaited premieres. The showcase will offer a multifaceted preview of the creative momentum driving Chinese filmmaking today. The “China Movie and TV Night” will once again take center stage with a rich program comprising a gala celebration, a “Path of Light and Shadow” ceremonial tribute, and the “Cinematic Salon” around the theme of “World of Light and Shadows - Stories from China” through these diverse and immersive formats.

This year, SIFF’s Film Market merges with the Shanghai TV Festival Market to form the upgraded International Film & TV Market. This new platform focuses on technological innovation and industry transformation. Held at the Shanghai Exhibition Center from June 21–25, the market will host over 200 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions, showcasing frontier tech and global collaboration opportunities. A newly launched “International Zone” will spotlight national cultures and screen industries, while the “International Section' series” series and Buyers’ Salons aim to deepen international exchange and co-production. For the first time, the exhibition area will be open to the public free of charge. This strategic move will create unprecedented opportunities for cross-border filmmaking industry exchange and deal-making. With its commitment as a platform, this year’s festival places particular emphasis on the fusion of literature and screen, empowering the film and television industry from its narrative roots. In collaboration with the China Writers Association, the “International Film & TV Market” will host the program “Cross-Screen Narratives - Shining from Page to Screen - the Most Adaptable Literary IP Promotion Conference”, showcasing a curated selection of high-quality literary works ripe for screen adaptation. The initiative will unveil a Top IP Recommendations List, and convene roundtables exploring the intersection of literature and film. Additionally, special sessions - Cross-Screen Narratives: lP Pitch Conference-From Literature to Film,  Cross-Screen Narratives: lP Pitch Conference -From Online Literature to Drama - will introduce a new model for IP promotion. Moving beyond the traditional perspectives of writers, editors, publishers, and rights holders, these sessions will gather project teams introducing their creative adaptation visions, enabling deeper engagement and creative resonance than ever before. For the first time, the newly unveiled “International Film & TV Market” will open its exhibition space to the public free of charge. The UHD HUB (Ultra High-Definition Hub) will offer a full-spectrum showcase of the UHD ecosystem, including the latest breakthroughs in ultra-high-definition content creation, filming robots, image production equipment, immersive VR cinema installations, and AI-augmented creative workflows. With a blend of professional insight and interactive public experience, the hub will offer a glimpse into various possibilities of digital visual storytelling in the future.

SIFF remains committed to its mission: With its focus on “Asia, Chinese films, and New Talents”. A key expression of this is the “6+1” progressive talent nurturing scheme, now a signature of the festival. This year’s SIFF YOUNG introduces producer slots, strategically balancing participant profiles while expanding support for core creative roles across the industry. Building upon its four established categories of NEW TALENT PROJECT, PRE-PRODUCTION PROJECT, CO-PRODUCTION PROJECT, and WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP), SIFF PROJECT launches a new GENRE PROJECT Section, challenging creators to reinvent conventions within established frameworks and diversify market offerings. The number of valid project submissions has increased by 39% year-on-year, reflecting the growing engagement from the industry. SIFF NEXT will run across two pivotal phases – “Industry Fundamentals” and “Project Development” - offering participants highly efficient, customized mentorship through its Industry Workshop Series. SIFF EXPLORE, formerly the foundational tier of this stepped talent incubation system, has been elevated this year to SIFF ING. This restructured program now operates through dual tracks of the AIGC unit and the Vertical Short Video unit, sharpening its focus on technological innovation and youth perspectives as an experimental platform for global filmmakers. Among the 2,600+ submissions received worldwide for the AIGC unit, many demonstrated a notable awareness of technology and achieved breakthroughs in visual aesthetics. These projects not only expand the boundaries of how AI can engage with cinematic storytelling but also provide audiences with refreshingly new visual languages and narrative techniques.

A Film Carnival Where the Entire City is a Canvas of Light and Shadow, and Everyone Can Take Part

For over 120 years, cinema has echoed the heartbeat of this city, with every frame capturing a slice of life. SIFF has long embraced the art of film with openness, evolving into a highly anticipated annual gathering for cinephiles near and far. This year, 48 cinemas and 61 screening halls across Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region will light up with over 400 films from 71 countries and regions, offering some 1,500 screening sessions. Among the 400-plus films - competition titles included - 49% arrive bearing the glow of premiere screenings, while 30% are reborn in the crystalline clarity of 4K resolution. Curated across nearly 40 diverse sections, this year’s lineup forms a rich tapestry of cinematic history — a symphonic dialogue between East and West, where timeless classics meet bold contemporary visions.

The special section “RESONANCE: A BRIEF ENCOUNTER OF CHINESE AND WORLD CINEMA” presents a curated selection of classic films, showcasing a cinematic dialogue between landmark works from Chinese and international film history, and highlighting a century-long journey of mutual learning, exchange, and shared inspiration between Chinese and global cinema; the wildly popular “Cannes in Real Time” program delivers eight cinematic treasures, with YOUNG MOTHERS’ HOME, RENOIR, ARCO, A PALE VIEW OF HILLS, and KOKUHO, - alongside crowd-pleasers SUNSET BOULEVARD and BARRY LYNDON scattered across TRIBUTE TO MASTERS and MIDNIGHT FANTASY to leave cinephiles exhilarated; this year also sees the debut of a new curatorial strand - ASIA NOW, which will underline the festival’s Asian perspective, gathering the continent’s finest new works as the final touch to a curated trilogy of REFRESHING CHINESE CINEMA, ASIA NOW, and CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA; the CONTEMPORARY WORLD CINEMA program will expand beyond Italy, Japan, Germany, Spain to debut dedicated UK and Turkish units; meanwhile, the reimagined ALTERNATIVES unit of SPECTRUM splinters into bold new sub-programs, GENRE COLLAGES and CINEMA AND BEYOND, showcasing avant-garde genre works that shatter conventions through experimental films, concert and performance films, expanding the very definition of what a film festival can screen. For the first time, SIFF introduces the “SIFF IMMERSIVE” section, featuring three acclaimed international VR works - GARGOYLE DOYLE, KURSAAL‎, and MONTEGELATO, signaling the official debut of virtual reality films as part of the festival’s main screening program. The festival will present three marathon screenings at Shanghai Film Art Center and the Grand Theatre on June 21. These include a David Lynch triple bill, ERASERHEAD, LOST HIGHWAY and MULHOLLAND DRIVE; a four-part screening of REBUILD OF EVANGELION (1.0: You Are [Not] Alone, 2.0: You Can [Not] Advance, 3.0: You Can [Not] Redo, and 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time); and the documentary SHOAH. Each screening will last six to nine hours. Around the festival, nearly 100 post-screening Q&As and filmmaker meet-and-greets will take place across screening theaters over a ten-day period, offering audiences rare opportunities to engage directly with directors, actors, and creative teams from across nearly every screening section.

Since mid-last month, SIFF, in collaboration with the Shanghai Citizens Art Festival, has hosted four “Cinema Lights Up Homes, Sharing Life’s Finest Values” lecture series. These events explored the art of cinema from diverse perspectives and shared curatorial insights, drawing enthusiastic responses from cinephiles and attracting nearly 2 million online and offline participants. When ticket sales started at noon on June 5 on Damai and Taopiaopiao platforms, 600-plus screenings of 92 films sold out within one hour. As of noon on June 11, 459,600 tickets had been purchased, with a sell-out rate of 73% - a historic high for the festival.

The opening film of this year’s festival is SHE’S GOT NO NAME, directed by Peter Chan. Following the Gala Night on June 14, this film, set and mostly shot in Shanghai, will be screened. In a bold move, SIFF will present an innovative initiative: 120 (on June 14,) and 130 (on June 15 and 16) theaters across the city will hold special screenings of SHE’S GOT NO NAME, creating an exciting atmosphere where “the entire city is a canvas of light and shadow, and everyone can take part”.

Film Economy, Powering China’s Year of Cinema Consumption

SIFF is more than a cinephile’s dream — it’s a vivid showcase of China’s dynamic film industry, evolving consumer trends, and the fusion of culture and tourism. Harnessing the city’s rich cinematic heritage, this year’s SIFF partners with local districts, institutions, shopping districts, and digital platforms to present a wide range of cross-sector initiatives.  The Sci-Fi Film Week - Tech & Creation Section, co-organized with Songjiang District, will explore innovative “Film +” formats and launch a variety of activities aimed at both the industry and the general public based on Songjiang’s rich resources in content production and cultural tourism. SIFF XR, developed in partnership with Putuo District, focuses on the theme of “Film, Gaming, Culture & Tourism”, offering immersive and interactive experiences through XR and other digital filmmaking technologies that blur the boundaries between cinema and gaming.

From a simple movie ticket springs a key to unlocking the city — connecting culture, tourism, business, sports, and exhibitions. At SIFF, film goes far beyond the screen. Here, cinema pairs with culinary delights - The Manner × SIFF limited-edition coffee cups and Bright Dairy’s custom packaging sparked instant collection and social media frenzy upon release; for the first time, Meituan and Dianping curated “film-hopping meal deals” for festival-goers, while their “See Movies, Savor Shanghai” food map highlights cinema-adjacent gourmet hotspots; theater complexes collaborated with onsite restaurants to introduce signature cocktails, co-branded beverages, and SIFF-exclusive dishes. Here, films become travel guides - Delegates from the Belt and Road Film Alliance will experience Shanghai through curated “Charm Pudong Tour” and “Charm Pudong Gala Night”; Trip.com launches “Frame Shanghai: Travel through Films” packages bundling hotels, attractions, and movie tickets; official screening cinemas offer partner hotel discounts, exclusive stay packages, attraction deals for ticket-holders through various “Film + Travel” services. Yuyuan Garden transforms into an immersive “festival annex” with “Movie Ticket+” merchant perks and heritage blocks redesigned as film sets, becoming global tourist photo hotspots. Here, the cinematic experience extends beyond the screen into vibrant marketplaces – “Reel Fun” Open-Air Market (adjacent to the International Film & TV Market) will amplify the long-tail value of film/TV IPs through innovative formats with free admission for all visitors; the “Belt and Road” Lifestyle Market at Bicester Village will create a new cultural consumption space showcasing Southeast Asian flavors; Intangible Cultural Heritage Market near Jiading Theater will amaze visitors with Xuhang straw-weaving crafts, Jiading bamboo-engraved bookmarks, and hands-on intangible cultural heritage DIY kits.

The SIFF ticket stubs hold even more surprise - Didi ride discounts, scenic spot vouchers, and creative theater perks like ticket stub exchanges, lucky draws, and stamp-collecting challenges. With SIFF creative cultural products, custom theater stamps, pins, and translucent cards, the buzz is already building before the curtain rises. Dubbed the “moviegoer’s bible”, the fan-favorite Citizen’s Film Guide has leveled up this year as the Film Lifestyle Handbook, weaving in city travel tips to become a must-have festival collectible.

This year’s SIFF reaffirms “City of Film” as its poster theme, with the newly released 1+3 poster series reinterpreting the concept - “Where Every Frame Captures Life Stories” - drawing inspiration from Shanghai’s iconic architecture and everyday scenes. But here’s the real showstopper: the main visual poster has been transformed into a full-scale 3D installation, where even a simple table and two chairs become tangible props. Moviegoers can step inside the scene for photos, chat, or just take a breather. Fans have flooded social media with posts like, “SIFF’s posters just evolved from 2D to 3D!” And there’s more - with a little AI magic, scanning the main poster via Alipay’s “Scan & Explore” feature will unlock the festival’s full schedule. Tapping into the “Where Every Frame Captures Life Stories” theme, an exclusive film filter can even turn your photos into AI-generated movie quote posters inspired by SIFF’s lineup, blending cinema and city life in one snap.

In June, Shanghai will once again ignite its annual cinematic celebration - a grand silver-screen extravaganza. The 27th SIFF, a true “people’s festival”, invites everyone to unlock citywide festivities with a single ticket stub in a magnificent feast for all to enjoy.