The 29th Shanghai TV Festival Scheduled for June 24-28

The 29th Shanghai TV Festival (STVF) is scheduled to be unveiled in Shanghai from June 24 to 28, 2024. Along with the prestigious MAGNOLIA AWARDS INTERNATIONAL TV PROGRAM COMPETITION, which are hailed as a barometer of China’s television industry, this five-day event will encompass the OPENING CEREMONY, STVF MARKET, STVFORUM, INTERNATIONAL TV SHOWCASE, and the “MAGNOLIA” AWARDS CEREMONY.

The Magnolia Awards at each session of STVF, as a collection of TV and online audiovisual masterpieces from April of the previous year to the first quarter of the current year, offers insight into the industry landscape. The 29th STVF launched the call for entries at the end of last year and has received nearly 1,000 entries as of the end of March 31 this year, marking the peak among the recent five submission cycles. The Foreign TV Drama category, which rose by 53.7% from around 110 entries in the previous year to nearly 170, has made noticeable contribution to this result. Moreover, the animation category also saw a 16.7% growth compared with the previous year.

Entries for this year’s Magnolia Awards come from 57 countries and regions across all five continents, a significant increase from 49 countries and regions in the previous session. Among the nearly 340 entries in the documentary category, 60% are works by international applicants.

The shortlist for the Magnolia Awards this year is expected to be announced in May, and the glittering “Magnolia Awards” ceremony is scheduled to take place on the evening of June 28.

As China’s first international TV festival, established in 1986, STVF, through the selection of the Magnolia Awards, has driven the emergence of high-quality TV productions and the rise of talented professionals in China’s TV industry. As viewers eagerly anticipate the acclaimed high-quality works to be selected and compete for the Magnolia Awards, they also aspire to discover more overlooked gems through the judging process to enrich their own viewing list. It is for this reason that the International TV Showcase has been introduced during the festival to truly give prominence to the festive nature of this event. Last year, while showcasing the nominated works for the Magnolia Awards on traditional TV platforms and online video platforms, STVF also organized extensive offline public screenings in 18 cultural venues across the city, aside from multiple meet-and-greet events, where the creators or critics of the productions provided on-site commentary for the citizens. During the 29th STVF this year, the offline public screening activities, coming with new sections such as sports and competitions and cutting-edge science and technology, will reach more venues, to engage with young audiences in this cultural extravaganza of Shanghai.

The STVF Market will be staged at Shanghai Exhibition Center from June 24 to 26. Gathering exhibitors across the entire film and television industry chain, including film and television production companies, broadcasting platforms, shooting bases, post-production companies, and internet platforms, it will focus on project promotion, intellectual property promotion, industry salons, and one-on-one negotiations. The application channels for exhibitions and market activities are currently accepting submissions.

Additionally, the STVFORUM, which will also take place at Shanghai Exhibition Center, will feature themed forums, MasterClass, as well as online film and miniseries events. The themed forums will zoom in on the development of TV dramas, documentaries, and animations, along with topics such as technological innovation and international cooperation. This session of STVF will also host an Online Film Project Summit to ignite creativity in online film creation and boost the multi-dimensional and diversified development of the audiovisual industry.