The 2026 Hengdian Film & TV Festival and Hengdian New Mass Culture Week will be held from Oct 23 to 28 in Hengdian, Zhejiang province, organizers announced at a recent news conference in Beijing.
With the theme "New Era, New Audiovisual, Mass Culture in Full Bloom", this year's event will feature three core segments: the Wenrong Awards ceremony, Micro-Drama Night, and an event to encourage those chasing their acting dreams.
The Wenrong Awards will be chaired by Hong Kong filmmaker Derek Yee, with actor Lin Yongjian and production designer Huo Tingxiao serving as judges. Micro-Drama Night will feature script solicitations, actor selection, and industry discussions aimed at promoting the high-quality development of the sector.
Meanwhile, the other event, titled "Hengdian Ruxi Zhiye" (Hengdian Immersive-in-Scene Night), will bring together tourism NPC performers, intangible cultural heritage practitioners, and self-media bloggers from across the country for a red-carpet celebration and a roundtable discussion on cultural tourism.
Beyond the festival's film and television activities, organizers said the event will also highlight the growing role of new literary and artistic groups and the integration of audiovisual content with tourism.
Gao Jian, deputy secretary-general of the China Television Artists Association, described the event as an exploration of ways to promote emerging mass culture and deepen the integration of audiovisual culture and tourism.
Lin Yongjian, vice-chairman of the association, said new literary and artistic groups have become an important force in the industry, calling for greater attention to both professional ethics and artistic standards to foster a healthy industry ecosystem.
Yang Xiaopei, founder of Xixi Pictures, highlighted the committee's core value of "connection", saying it aims to link talent across the industry chain and provide support for young creators.
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of Hengdian World Studios. Yang Zhiwei, chairman of the studios, said Hengdian hopes to invite creators from across the country to join the celebrations and help create a cultural landscape where every corner of Hengdian can be part of a story.
As part of the festival, organizers have also launched a national co-creation initiative, inviting short-video creators to submit works during the event. Selected participants will compete for a share of 500,000 yuan ($69,600) in prize money.
