27th Shanghai International Film Festival Opens with Record Submissions and Global Spotlight
The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) officially launched today, running through June 22, with a dazzling lineup of films and events that underscore its growing prominence on the global stage.
This year’s festival shattered records, receiving 3,900 submissions from 119 countries and regions, the highest in its history. The competition section alone attracted over 2,800 entries, with notable growth in submissions from the Americas and Africa. The short film category saw an 18% increase compared to last year. An impressive 1,820 films are world premieres, while 520 are international premieres, resulting in an unprecedented 80% premiere rate - a testament to SIFF’s rising prestige.
The prestigious Golden Goblet Awards will see 12 films vie for top honors in the main competition, including three Chinese contenders: Cao Baoping’s One Wacky Summer, Qiu Sheng’s My Father's Son, and Wang Tong’s Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts. They will compete against nine international films from the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and Poland. Eleven of the selected films are world premieres, and one is an international premiere, reflecting the festival’s commitment to fresh cinematic voices.
The awards span five categories: the Main Competition (Feature Films), Asian New Talent, Documentary, Animation, and Short Films.
Esteemed Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore, celebrated for his timeless classic Cinema Paradiso, chairs the Main Competition jury, lending his artistic gravitas to the selection process. The jury comprises 21 members from 13 countries, representing a diverse cross-section of global cinema.
In a nod to the next generation of filmmakers, the Asian New Talent Award jury is the youngest in SIFF history, with members spanning Gen Z to Millennials and an average age of just 35. Now in its 21st year, this section showcases 12 emerging directors from across Asia, including China’s Bian Zhuo (As the Water Flows) and Japan’s Danzuka Yuiga (Brand New Landscape), with nine films making their world premiere. For the first time, the Asian New Talent awards ceremony will be integrated into the Golden Goblet closing gala, signaling a new era of synergy.
The festival’s commitment to innovation shines through the 4th SIFF ING Young Talents Program, rebranded this year to focus on "New Tech, New Perspectives, New Voices." The program received over 3,600 submissions across AIGC and vertical-screen films, highlighting the evolving landscape of storytelling.
This year’s festival coincides with 130 years of world cinema and 120 years of Chinese cinema, a milestone celebrated with expanded public access. For the first time, the organizers will try to hold a special citywide screening of the opening film, Peter Ho-Sun Chan’s She’s Got No Name, a gripping drama based on a famous 1940s murder case, with more than 500 screenings, allowing audiences citywide to join the festivities.
Over 400 films from 71 countries will be shown in 48 theaters (61 screens) throughout Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta, offering cinephiles a rich tapestry of global storytelling.