SIFF attracts over 3,000 entries for this year's festival
A file photo of last year's jury panel.
The 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) will run for ten days, from June 14 to June 23. A grand opening ceremony will be held on June 15, with the Golden Goblet Awards event on June 22 at the Shanghai Grand Theater.
The festival has attracted over 3,300 film entries from 105 countries and regions spanning five continents, with over 2,300 films competing in the Golden Goblet Awards' Main Competition, Asian New Talent, Documentary, Animation, and Short Film categories.
The entries include both new works by experienced directors and those by emerging film talent. The Golden Goblet Award nominations are likely to be released in May.
As China's first international competitive feature film festival, SIFF provides an important platform for the world to see indications of Chinese and global cinema development.
SIFF will expand collaboration and exchanges among Belt and Road countries in 2024 as the second "golden decade" of collaboratively developing the Belt and Road is unveiled.
It will screen films recommended by institutions from Belt and Road countries across the Yangtze River Delta region, thereby initiating cross-border dialogues.
The SIFF NEXT offers training courses and an exchange platform for young talent.
The SIFF Market gathers film professionals and buyers from across the world.
SIFF has established a mature system for developing young potential filmmakers through a variety of short film competitions and training camps.
The SIFF EXPLORE, for 5-minute films, is in its seventh year and has attracted over 1,000 entries. Overseas submissions are steadily increasing and now account for roughly one-third of the total. Special screening salons will be created for the Short Film Unit for this year's festival, showing outstanding works from prior years.
The SIFF NEXT, which was upgraded to a two-stage-in-one-year model in 2019, has perfected its approach and enters its fifth year. A total of 331 applications were submitted for the training sessions, with 39 producers, 42 screenwriters , and 250 directors.
The SIFF PROJECT has been ongoing for 16 years. This year's international cooperation initiatives feature works from Germany, Iceland, Italy, and other countries, in addition to the usual suspects of the United States, Japan, and France.
The third SIFF YOUNG will continue to recommend and encourage exceptional young directors, producers, and screenwriters, with the list to be announced at the festival in June.
A file photo of a film forum at last year's film festival
Shanghai International Film Festival's Panorama is the largest and most diversified screening in Asia
As a barometer of the film industry, the SIFF Market will explore its prospects through exhibitions, market events, and screenings with film institutions and practitioners from both home and abroad.
Masters from around the world will attend the SIFForum, which will continue to provide insights on the evolution and developments of cinema art from a variety of angles, including the industry landscape, film creation, and technological frontiers.
Amid the technological wave, innovation presents both opportunities and difficulties to the whole film business.
The festival's Sci-Fi Film Week will look into how artificial intelligence may help the film business grow. The festival will also include thematic screenings and special debates on current issues like "Sora," as well as new events like the Sci-Fi Masterclass and Sci-Fi IP Pitch.
Fans of international cinema will enjoy SIFF Panorama, Asia's largest and most diversified screening. Throughout the festival, 14 cinemas in Shanghai will screen high-quality films in a variety of genres and styles.
