International TV Showcase | Meet the Masters, Embrace Life - Enjoy World-Class Productions at the TV Festival on Your Doorstep

On the afternoon of June 23, the opening ceremony of the 30th Shanghai TV Festival’s International TV Showcase was held at the China Art Museum. This year’s showcase continues to feature three sections: televised broadcasts, online streaming, and offline public screenings. The offline screenings will take place at 19 venues across 16 districts in Shanghai, presenting a total of 29 outstanding domestic and international productions across 8 themed units.

International TV Showcase is jointly guided by the National Radio and Television Administration and the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism. It is organized by the Shanghai TV Festival, Shanghai Mass Art Center, and the Shanghai Television Artists Association, co-organized by the Administration Committee of Lin-gang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and hosted by the China Art Museum and Shanghai Oriental Pearl International Exchange Co., Ltd., with special support from Shanghai Lingang Special Area Investment Holding Group Co., Ltd.

World-Class Productions at Your Doorstep

In his speech, Lin Sumin, second-level inspector of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, remarked that this year marks the significant 30th edition of STVF. The festival carries the mission of boosting the audiovisual industry while continuing to connect and serve a broad audience through high-quality content. Under the theme “Thirty & Thriving, Embarking on a New Journey”, the International TV Showcase 2025 presents a rich mix of programs via television, online platforms, and offline public screenings, allowing the public to enjoy top-tier global productions close to home. The event highlights both the service-oriented nature of the television industry and the people-benefit vision of the festival.

This year’s showcase will collaborate with six professional channels under Shanghai Media Group to broadcast a selection of outstanding international television works, including the latest foreign TV series, documentaries, and animations. The showcase also features a Magnolia Awards winner retrospective section, presenting seven representative past winners.

As part of the International TV Showcase, the offline public screening further creates a “TV festival at your doorstep”. Across 19 cultural venues in all 16 districts of Shanghai, it will present 29 premium domestic and international productions across eight thematic units, totaling 41 screenings. Additionally, the event will host 12 meet-and-greet sessions and expert-led appreciation activities, enabling direct interaction between audiences and creators to promote public aesthetic education, strengthen urban cultural cohesion, and enhance citizens’ cultural engagement.

Hear the Creators Share Behind-the-Scenes Stories in Person

To enhance the professionalism, international reach, and public benefit effect of this year’s community screenings, the International TV Showcase has curated eight thematic sections: Joyful Childhood,  Classic Chinese Animation, The Power of Life, Brilliant Planet, Wondrous Visions, Shanghai TV Festival × BBC Studios: Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of Jane Austen, Another Life and Diverse Screens: Special Showcase of SCO Member States’ Programs.

In the Another Life section, the historical and cultural documentary L.E.Hudec, which tells the life story of the renowned architect, served as the opening film of this year’s showcase. In 2024, the documentary won the Grand Prize in the Cultural Dialogue Competition section at the 19th International Film Festival WON TOGETHER named after Vladimir Menshov and was also selected as one of the Outstanding Domestic Documentaries for Q3 2024 by China’s National Radio and Television Administration.

At the opening ceremony, director Chen Qing shared the decade-long journey of making L.E.Hudec with the audience. “In 2014, during a conversation with Ms. Li Yajuan from the Hungarian Embassy in China, I first heard Hudec’s name,” Chen recalled. As she dove deeper into research and production, she found herself increasingly moved by Hudec’s story. “His life was full of ups and downs, with so much worth telling.”

While Hudec is best known for designing iconic landmarks like the Park Hotel, Grand Cinema, and Wukang Mansion, what impressed Chen the most was a lesser-known residential building - Avenue Apartments. “A hundred years ago, that building met all the daily needs of its residents. Each of the three buildings in the compound was designed on split levels, offering excellent privacy. It truly reflects how much Hudec cared about people in his architectural design. That’s what makes him remarkable.”

Chen Qing was thrilled to participate in the screening at STVF with her work. “When the program aired on television, we couldn’t really gauge the audience’s reactions. Now we have the opportunity to sit down and communicate face-to-face with everyone - this is a truly rare opportunity for our entire team,” she said. Audience member Ms. An also found the experience uniquely enriching: “Having the director right in front of you, offering background knowledge from a creator’s perspective, deepens your understanding of the work.”

85-Year-Old Aunt Travels across Districts to Follow the Screening

Since its founding in 1986, STVF has remained committed to its philosophy of being professional, international and people-benefiting. It has become one of the most important international television exchange platforms in Asia. As a key component of the festival, the International TV Showcase has, since 2018, moved beyond television screens and into public cultural spaces. With increasingly diverse screening units and a wider variety of works, it allows art to genuinely enter everyday life and enrich the cultural fabric of the city.

Audiences are delighted to be able to watch these outstanding domestic and international works right at their doorstep. “Shanghai, as an international metropolis, has the capability to host film and TV festivals. We definitely need to cherish this opportunity,” said Ms. Shen, a regular participant in the festival. “I feel that it has broadened my cultural understanding of film and TV. I’ve absorbed so much in such a short time.”

Eighty-five-year-old Aunt Wang lives in Xuhui and made a special trip to China Art Museum today to watch L.E.Hudec. “I love film and theater. The audiovisual experience here simply can’t be matched by a home TV,” she said. Ms. Liu, who lives near the museum, had reserved tickets for L.E.Hudec because of the legendary life of architect László Hudec. “I hope the Shanghai TV Festival will continue to showcase more outstanding works from home and abroad - we’re very interested.”

Wang Jianjun, Chairman of the Shanghai Television Artists Association and Vice President of the China Federation of Radio and Television Associations; Lin Sumin, Second-Level Inspector of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism; Wang Yichuan, Party Secretary and Executive Director of the China Art Museum (Shanghai Art Museum); Wu Penghong, Director of the Shanghai Mass Art Center; Cao Yin, Deputy Director of Shanghai International Film & TV Festivals, Co., Ltd.; Liang Junxia, Executive Vice Chair and Secretary-General of the Shanghai Television Artists Association; Wang Jian, General Manager of Shanghai Oriental Pearl International Exchange Co., Ltd.; and Chen Qing, Chief Director and Producer of the opening film L.E.Hudec, attended the opening ceremony.