Registration Q&A for the 28th Shanghai TV Festival

Q: Our company's program was already registered last year. Do we need to register it again?

A: The 28th Shanghai TV Festival (STVF), which was originally scheduled for June 2022, has been postponed to June 2023. Programs within the original registration period that have registered for the Magnolia Awards do not need to re-register, and will be included by default in the selection for the Magnolia Awards at the 28th STVF to be held in 2023. If you registered your program, but do not want to participate in the selection, you can call the Shanghai TV Festival Organizing Committee Office (22009819) to cancel the registration.

Programs within the new registration period can be registered according to the rules of each section. The specific registration rules can be found at www.stvf.com.

Q: Our company's program has only been broadcasted on the Internet. Can we register it?

A: The selection of the Magnolia Awards at the 28th Shanghai TV Festival is open to online audio-visual content. Domestic and overseas TV dramas, documentaries, animations and variety shows that are purely broadcasted on the Internet are welcome to apply.

According to the rules, the entries participating in the Magnolia Awards for TV Series (China) selection are "TV series broadcasted on satellite channels in China (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions) or those premiered on a video website". If your company's program was broadcasted online only, please select "Broadcast media – Internet only" when registering, and you need to fill in the "TV series distribution license number" or "Internet TV series distribution license number".

Q: Our program will start broadcasting on March 31, 2023. Can we enter it for the competition?

A: You can enter it for TV Series (China) or Variety Program, as these two categories require programs to be premiered between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023; for Documentary, Animation, Foreign TV Film/Miniseries and Foreign TV Series/Serial units, programs should be premiered between March 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023, so your program is not eligible.

The registration period sets limitations for the dates when the first episode of a program is broadcasted, not its last episode.

Q: Our program is jointly produced by many companies. Who should  be the entrant?

A: If there are multiple producers, they should decide which one of them will be the entrant. When filling in the "Producer Information", please be sure to fill in the information truthfully. The same work can only be registered once.

Q: In the program registration materials, which format is required for the program video and high-definition clip?

A: Please provide 1920*1080 high-definition videos in the format of mp4, mkv, mov, etc. that can be played on the computer.

Q: In the registration materials for the program, a high-definition clip (within 3 minutes) is required. If the applicant has clips of different versions, lasting 30 seconds, 1 minute, and 2 minutes, for example, which one should be submitted?

A: As long as the duration of the clip meets the requirement of "within 3 minutes", different versions can all be submitted.

Q: What occasions are the program materials, such as posters, signed stills, etc. required in the rules used?

A: Program materials, such as posters, signed stills, etc., will be used in Shanghai TV Festival’s official Weibo and WeChat accounts, and official website for program promotion, interaction with fans and other activities.

Q: If the registered program is still in the airing stage at the time of submission, and a copy of the last episode cannot be provided, can it be substituted with other episodes?

A: Yes, if the last episode cannot be provided for the time being, it can be replaced with any episode and submitted first, and then supplemented in due course.

Q: Can a LOGO or watermark be added to the preview copy?

A: Yes, they can be added without affecting the viewing effect.

Q: For TV series/documentaries/animations in English, if all the dialogues are in English, do I need to add Chinese subtitles before submitting?

A: TV series/documentaries/animations in English can be submitted with English subtitles. Chinese subtitles are not required.

Q: I am a director/actor/actress, and the TV series I directed/performed in was broadcasted last year. Can I apply for the Magnolia Award for Best Director, Best Actor/Actress in a Leading/Supporting Role, etc. in a TV Series (China)?

A: The applicant for the Magnolia Awards for TV Series (China) is the production company (referred to as the producer) that owns the copyright of the TV series, and individuals are not eligible to apply for the awards. You can ask the producer to enter for the competition. Once the program is submitted, it will be considered as participating in the competition for all awards in the Magnolia Awards for the TV Series (China) category, unless the producer specifically states that it will waive the selection of one or more individual awards.

Q: Can a single-episode animation and animated short film apply for the Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards?

A: Yes, as long as it is an animated series, single-episode series or animated program broadcasted all at once that is premiered between March 1, 2022 and February 28, 2023, it can participate in the selection.

Q: Is there any specific regulation on the running time of a single-episode documentary?

A: No, there is no time limit for it.