Magnolia Showcase | Out-of-town Audience Flocks as the “Television Festival at Our Doorstep” Gains Momentum

On the afternoon of June 24, the opening ceremony of Magnolia Showcase at the 29th Shanghai TV Festival (STVF) was held at the China Art Palace. This year, this section features over 50 outstanding works from around the world, broadcast through television channels, online platforms, and offline screenings, continuing to establish itself as a “television festival at our doorstep”.

Magnolia Showcase is guided by the National Radio and Television Administration, and Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism. It is organized by the Shanghai TV Festival, Shanghai Mass Art Center, and Shanghai Television Artists Association, with co-sponsorship from the Administration Committee of Lin-gang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and undertaken by China Art Palace and Shanghai Oriental Pearl International Exchange Co., Ltd.

A television festival at our doorstep built unremittingly

Mr. You Haiyang, Deputy Inspector and Director of the Department of Radio, Television, and Online Audiovisual Programs of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, stated in her speech that this year’s Magnolia Showcase aims to fulfill President Xi Jinping’s important concept of “A City for the People” and enhance exchanges and cooperation with international counterparts. It provides a platform for audiences to enjoy world-class film and television works at their doorstep, highlighting the festival’s public benefiting effects and promoting positive cinematic influences to enrich and inspire.

In 2024, Magnolia Showcase collaborates with six professional channels of Shanghai Media Group, broadcasting a selection of excellent television productions from around the world during the festival. To expand our audience, broadcasting channels extend to the internet, creating a comprehensive multimedia display platform for outstanding programs. This year’s offline public screenings have been fully refreshed, with Shanghai TV Festival, Shanghai Mass Art Center, and Shanghai Television Artists Association leveraging their unique resources to further polish the brand of “a television festival at our doorstep”.

Since its inception in 1986, STVF has been committed to fostering a professional, international, and people-benefiting TV event, growing into one of Asia’s most influential platforms for international television exchange. Each year during the festival, excellent programs from around the world are presented to television audiences. Since 2018, Magnolia Showcase has expanded from local television channels to the internet, and has also entered cultural venues in downtown Shanghai for offline public screenings, garnering acclaims from citizens.

This year, with the support of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, the offline public screenings have expanded from 18 venues in 16 districts last year to cover 20 cultural venues across the entire city of Shanghai.

Out-of-town Audience Flocking to Shanghai for BBC’s Masterpieces

In the selection of public screening content, STVF has carefully curated eight units including “Joyful Childhood”, “Chinese Animation”, “Power of Life”, “Charm of Competition”, “Vivid World”, “Dazzling Planet”, and “Magical Journey”. The “Endless Exploration” unit jointly created by STVF and BBC Studios showcases the documentary PLANET EARTH III, which explores exotic species over a five-year period. This documentary served as the opening film for Magnolia Showcase at STVF, and has also been nominated for the “Best Documentary Series” at this year’s festival.

During the opening ceremony, Michael Gunton, Executive Producer of PLANET EARTH III and Creative Director of BBC Studios Natural History Unit, introduced the documentary: “This film chronicles the sacred nature of wildlife and their behaviors, reflecting the relationship between humans and nature. It records many changes in animal behavior that occur naturally. We captured a rare scene of a grand gathering of sharks in South Africa, who are usually scattered. It was very rare.”

During the filming of the Planet Earth series, the production team used drones extensively to capture footage. “Capturing animals chasing each other underwater, and even filming from the perspective of animals, is extremely challenging. With the help of drones, we can capture every movement and behavior of sharks. The use of traditional cameras underwater is also crucial,” said Michael Gunton. “We had two photographers back-to-back for protection, because filming the actions of sharks and seals is very difficult and dangerous.”

The offline public screenings not only attracted a large number of Shanghai residents but also drew out-of-town audiences who were interested in nature documentaries. Mr. Ji, who came to Shanghai from out of town, booked a screening session of PLANET EARTH III at the China Art Palace because of his keen interest in nature documentaries. “Shanghai is an international metropolis that invites excellent works and creators from around the world, which symbolizes the city’s cultural influence,” Mr. Ji said. “I hope the Shanghai TV Festival will continue to introduce more outstanding documentaries and invite more creative teams to tell us the behind-the-scenes stories of their productions.”

The opening ceremony was attended by Wang Jianjun, Chairman of Shanghai Television Artists Association and Vice President of China Federation of Radio and Television Associations; You Haiyang, Deputy Inspector and Director of the Department of Radio, Television, and Online Audiovisual Programs of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism; Wang Yichuan, Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Director of the China Art Palace (Shanghai Art Museum); Cao Yin, Deputy Director of Shanghai International Film & TV Festivals, Co., Ltd.; Xu Hao, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Mass Art Center; Liang Junxia, Standing Vice Chairman and Secretary General of Shanghai Television Artists Association; Wang Jian, Vice President of Shanghai Oriental Pearl International Exchange Co., Ltd.; and Michael Gunton, Executive Producer of the opening film PLANET EARTH III and Creative Director of BBC Studios Natural History Unit.

The 29th Shanghai Television Festival (STVF) is hosted by the National Radio and Television Administration, China Media Group, and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, and organized by Shanghai Municipal Administration of Radio and Television and Shanghai Media Group, with co-organization by the Administration Committee of Lin-gang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and special support from Shanghai Lingang Special Area Investment Holding (Group) Co., Ltd.