The 28th Shanghai International Film Festival generated significant economic benefits across the city, contributing over 5.3 billion yuan ($782 million) to related industries — a nearly 6 percent year-on-year increase. As China's only FIAPF-accredited A-list film festival, the SIFF continues to solidify its global standing.
Held from June 12 to last Sunday, this year's festival welcomed 4,714 registered guests from 81 countries and regions, with more than 420 films screened across Shanghai.
Total box office revenue reached nearly 38 million yuan, attracting over 450,000 attendees. Notably, 27 percent were first-time festival goers, and over 70 percent of domestic and international visitors traveled specifically for the film festival, staying an average of six days.
Competition was fierce, with a record-breaking 4,100 submissions from 125 countries and regions. Of the 49 films selected for the main lineup, 41 held their world premieres at the festival, underscoring the festival's role as a premier global launch platform.
At the Golden Goblet Awards ceremony last Saturday, Atlantic Rhapsody, the debut feature by 31-year-old Chinese director Zhong Kaifeng, won the Best Feature Film award. Zhong credited his success to "persistence, passion, hard work, and faith". The Jury Grand Prix went to the Belgian production, Iluminada.
Chinese American actress Lisa Lu received the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 99-year-old quipped that the honor "is not my retirement certificate", expressing her desire to continue acting. Her 1968 film The Arch, restored in 4K, was screened during the festival and previously selected for the Cannes Classics category at the 78th Cannes Film Festival.
The Belt and Road Film Week, themed "Shared Screens", showcased 16 recent films from 26 countries. On June 17, the Royal Film Commission — Jordan became the 58th member of the Silk Road Film Alliance, which was established in 2018. To date, the alliance has facilitated overseas screenings of 67 Chinese films and introduced over 1,000 titles from countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative to Chinese audiences.
Addressing rapid industry transformation, the film festival hosted forums and workshops on AI, XR and virtual production. A new AI Backlot initiative invited four interdisciplinary teams to conduct a month-long production experiment. Observed by academics from the Communication University of China, the project culminated in the release of the AI Video Integrated Creation Industry Observation Report, which offers insights into emerging creative workflows.
The SIFF has always been committed to energizing the industry and nurturing the future. The festival's flagship SIFFORUM, a perennial industry highlight, centered its 2026 edition on talent discovery and cultivation.
Chen Guo, director of the Shanghai International Film & TV Festival Center, emphasizes the strategic depth of these efforts: "We have established a three-pronged incubation system anchored by industry events, professional awards, and overseas showcases. This framework ensures a seamless pipeline, from project hatching and production completion to international distribution."
Among a series of key initiatives, the SIFF Project is a well-regarded platform in the Chinese film industry.
This year, the SIFF Project saw a record 560 valid submissions, with 31 high-quality feature film projects ultimately selected. Among them, Only the Moon Knows received the "Annual Focus" honor, while projects like Pelican Year and Starfruit were spotlighted at the Belt and Road Film Week for targeted matchmaking with potential co-production and distribution partners.
