Overview of the Opening of the 31st Shanghai TV Festival

A New Chapter for Magnolia Awards, A Broader Horizon for Visual Storytelling. The 31st Shanghai TV Festival (STVF) makes its annual return this June. Founded in 1986 as China’s first international television festival, STVF has consistently set the industry benchmark for quality while enriching public cultural life, driving the flourishing of popular literature and art in the new era. Now established as a premier platform for international audiovisual exchange in Asia, the festival continues to break new ground. This year’s edition is at once a cultural celebration for the people, a gateway for cross-civilizational dialogue connecting five continents, a catalyst for industry collaboration, and a brand-new stage for the sector to embrace innovation and the world with renewed vitality.

New Heights

—The Magnolia Awards Benchmark: Expanding Global Vision and Charting the Course for Cross-Civilizational Dialogue

In 1986, the magnolia was officially designated as the city flower of Shanghai through a public selection process, its upward-blossoming form embodying the spirit of daring to lead and striving forward. That same year, STVF was inaugurated; two years later, its competition awards were named the Magnolia Awards.

From the very beginning, the Magnolia Awards have upheld rigorous and impartial selection standards, established comprehensive and well-defined selection procedures, and balanced artistic expression with commercial recognition. In doing so, they have consistently fulfilled their core mission of guiding audiovisual production and setting the bar for industry development. At a time when the broadcasting and audiovisual sector is undergoing profound transformation marked by industrial restructuring and multi-dimensional iteration, where opportunities and challenges coexist, the Magnolia Awards, with their consistent, objective, and professional selection framework, anchor the industry’s value orientation amid changes and stand as the definitive benchmark for audiovisual creation across the nation.

As the longest-running international television award in China, the Magnolia Awards have consistently cherished three core principles: openness, professionalism, and fairness. This year’s call for entries has broken new ground on an impressive scale, drawing over a thousand submissions from 60 countries and regions across five continents. That marks a 39.5% jump from last year’s 43 participating countries and regions, with particularly strong growth coming from Asia and South America. Looking more closely at the foreign drama categories, entries rose from 142 in 2025 to 184 this year, while the number of participating countries climbed from 28 to 37. Beyond the sustained strong turnout from Europe’s established screen powerhouses, a fresh group of emerging audiovisual nations has made their mark with quality works, including Egypt, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Pakistan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The once Europe-centric map of participation is steadily giving way to a richer and more balanced picture, with robust representation from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and South America alike. In this steady but unmistakable shift, the Magnolia Awards are reaching further than ever, gaining not just in global presence, but in genuine resonance with audiences around the world.

To better align with the new global dynamics of submissions, this year’s Magnolia Awards have significantly expanded and upgraded their network of international selectors. While taking further the long-standing partnerships with seasoned selectors from Europe and the Americas, the awards have made a concerted effort to bring in professional practitioners from the Middle East and Latin America. The infusion of diverse regional cultural perspectives has broadened the boundaries of work selection, effectively raising the international caliber of the judging process and enriching the diversity of entries. Together, these efforts, without compromising the core commitment to professional selection, have built an authoritative selection system that embraces multiculturalism and brings together outstanding works from around the world.

The domestic TV drama category continues to shine with a wealth of outstanding works across a wide array of genres, painting a full and vibrant picture of the thriving Chinese TV drama sector. In 2023, the Magnolia Awards included online audiovisual content in all categories for the first time, triggering an explosive surge in submissions from web-exclusive productions. After two years of industry development, online exclusives now account for a quarter of all submissions in the TV drama (China) category at this year’s festival. Long-form dramas, short-form series, seasonal series, and online feature films are all developing in a balanced manner, each excelling in its own way. Together, they are building a diverse and flourishing ecosystem for domestic TV drama creation, driving China’s TV drama industry into a new phase defined by diversification and premium quality. The ongoing transformation of the industry is raising the bar for storytelling and creative expression, while also providing a vast stage for young and emerging filmmakers to showcase their talents.

Fierce competition has long been a defining hallmark of the Magnolia Awards, and this year’s lineup of nominated TV dramas is no exception. Ten outstanding series have made the cut: Silent Honor, Legend of the Magnate, Man’s Inhumanity to Man, Uncle, A Better Life, Born to be Alive, This Thriving Land, Swords into Plowshares, Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty III: To Chang’an, and Legend of Zang Hai (listed in alphabetical order by the pinyin of their Chinese titles). These works span a rich tapestry of genres, including realism, history, period drama, urban life, rural stories, and youth narratives, showcasing a remarkably vibrant and diverse creative scene. The competition is just as intense in the acting categories. The Best Actor race brings together a stellar ensemble of excellent performers, with Bai Yu, Guo Jingfei, Hu Ge, Xiao Zhan, and Yu Hewei (listed in alphabetical order by the pinyin of their Chinese names) each vying for the top honor with standout performances in their respective works. The Best Actress category is no less compelling, featuring Ren Suxi, Sun Li, Wu Yue, Yang Mi, and Yang Zi (listed in alphabetical order by the pinyin of their Chinese names), each delivering nuanced and captivating portrayals that have sparked widespread anticipation among drama fans.

The Organizing Committee has put in place a rigorous and multi-dimensional set of criteria for selecting jury members. Candidates are expected to have solid hands-on creative experience and profound expertise, while their international standing, the public reach of their works, and their past ties to the Magnolia Awards and commitment to the industry are also taken into careful consideration. This year’s Magnolia Awards jury comprises 15 members from seven countries, bringing together professionals from Ireland, Germany, France, Malaysia, Singapore, Italy, and China. The core members of the TV drama jury, in particular, are all creators who have long been active on the front lines of film and television production. Most of them have previously won or been nominated for a Magnolia Award, bringing to bear a formidable combination of professional authority and seasoned critical judgment.

This year, acclaimed director Zhang Yongxin has been named Jury President for the TV drama category. Zhang, who won the Magnolia Award for Best Director for his work on The Age of Awakening, now steps into a new role, transitioning from award-winning creator to industry judge. He likens the Magnolia Awards to a mirror reflecting the creative standards of Chinese television dramas, and has emphasized that the jury will approach their work with thorough prudence, holding firmly to the principles of fairness and impartiality. Given the richness of genres and the high quality of this year’s nominated works, the greatest challenge for the jury lies in “choosing the best among the best”. Zhang, however, has made the selection criteria clear: a work must have a sturdy narrative framework, vivid performances, and a vital spirit that runs through every frame. When it comes to the individual acting awards, the jury will base their decisions solely on content depth, narrative scope, and emotional power. Past accolades and public buzz carry no weight here. The final cut of each work stands as the sole basis for judgment, honoring the dedication every actor brings to the screen.

The finale of this year’s festival, the Magnolia Awards Ceremony, will take place on the evening of June 26 in the Lingang New Urban Area, where all major awards will be announced one by one.

New Horizons

—A TV Festival at the Doorstep, A Window to the World

Upholding the vision of building a people-centered city, STVF consistently develops cultural programs accessible to all, where everyone can take part, immerse themselves and reap meaningful rewards. It strikes a careful balance between high-level professional industry gatherings and inclusive public cultural activities, weaving the art of screen storytelling into the fabric of everyday urban life. The festival serves not only as a global platform for industry exchange, but also as a cultural celebration right on the doorstep of people in Shanghai.

International TV Showcase and Offline Public Screening together constitute a flagship program of this year’s STVF. In partnership with the Shanghai Mass Art Center, the festival has set up 11 screening venues across the city, offering free access to nearly 30 outstanding domestic and international productions. The program continues to expand the reach of public cultural services, to uphold the public’s core cultural interests while simultaneously enhancing the Magnolia Awards’ presence as a city brand. On the TV screen, a parallel showcase is underway across SMG’s satellite and terrestrial channels, featuring a curated selection of nominated and submitted works, as well as premium international dramas, documentaries, and animation. All of this brings world-class audiovisual storytelling directly into the homes of Shanghai residents, allowing viewers to savor top-tier global productions without leaving their doorsteps.

Offline public screening at the 30th STVF

The public screening program has been thoughtfully curated to reach diverse audience groups, featuring an innovative “3+3” structure across six thematic sections. The three classic sections are: “Joyful Childhood”, a family-friendly lineup for younger viewers; “Dazzling Planet”, focusing on the natural world; and “A Different Life”, blending technology with humanistic storytelling. The three special sections include a curated program celebrating the China-Brazil Year of Culture, a special collaboration with Hasbro, and a regional showcase titled “Asia and Africa”. Select screenings will be accompanied by meet-and-greet sessions with creators, offering audiences the chance to engage directly with filmmakers, gain professional insight, and have a deeper understanding of art—bringing high-quality culture closer to everyday urban life while ensuring the Festival delivers both emotional resonance and artistic depth.

Now in its 40th year, the Shanghai TV Festival has long served as a steadfast platform for cross-cultural dialogue and international industry collaboration. As 2026 marks the China-Brazil Year of Culture, this year’s festival has set up a Brazil-focused program “Sizzling Samba”, featuring a restored screening of the classic Brazilian TV drama Escrava Isaura. The festival has also invited Lucélia Santos, who played the lead role of Isaura, to join offline events in China. With the universal appeal of this hit series, viewers in China and Brazil grow more connected, gaining deeper insight into one another’s cultures. The International Film & TV Market will simultaneously host a dedicated China-Brazil exchange session, creating greater opportunities for industry players from both nations to connect and laying the groundwork for long-term bilateral collaboration.

To expand the global reach of Chinese film and television content, this year’s festival has built out a full-spectrum overseas promotion framework. It has launched the “Chinese New Drama Pavilion”, showcasing flagship new productions from China’s leading production companies. The festival also rolls out the “International Buyers Club”, inviting dozens of overseas distributors with a track record of acquiring Chinese titles from the UAE, Brazil, France, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, the UK and more, creating direct links between domestic copyright holders and global markets. Targeted business matchmaking sessions are held across TV dramas, films and micro-drama verticals, forming a streamlined, targeted marketplace for audiovisual deals. Attendee support for international delegates has also been upgraded: exclusive industry roundtables have been added, giving overseas institutions access to the full lineup of market activities and connecting them with resources spanning the entire industrial chain from creation and curation to distribution. Customized cultural city tours round out the offering. International guests are taken to iconic cultural venues across Shanghai to experience traditional Chinese culture and the city’s unique charm firsthand. All these efforts work in tandem to drive the global distribution of Chinese audiovisual content on every front.

Since last year, SIFF and STVF have aligned their schedules and venue resources to launch an integrated International Film & TV Market. Standardizing exhibitor procedures and consolidating industry resources, the joint initiative has drastically streamlined workflows for participating companies and amplified industrial synergy. This year, the International Film & TV Market has further elevated its service. Tailored sessions and bespoke support packages have been designed for key international buyers to achieve more precise matches between supply and demand, cementing the market’s standing as a reliable platform for global audiovisual collaboration. A dedicated sub-forum themed “Chinese Stories, Global Buyers” has been arranged under STVFORUM. It brings together top executives from the world’s leading streaming platforms for in-depth discussions covering emerging international market trends, overseas acquisition requirements, and innovative cross-border partnership models. Participants will jointly explore creative new avenues to bring Chinese series to global audiences.

New Vitality 

— First-Ever “Young Talents Day” to Boost Micro-Drama Development

Breakthroughs in internet technology have reshaped the landscape of broadcast, television and online audiovisual sectors, giving rise to brand-new creative trends. This shift is clearly reflected in the submissions for this year’s STVF. Since 2023, web-exclusive content has consistently made up one quarter of all submission in the TV drama (China) category, with long-form and short-form productions now developing in tandem. In June 2024, Shanghai released policy measures to fuel the micro-drama industry and rolled out the Blossoms[d1] support programme, driving the city’s local micro-drama sector into rapid expansion. In May 2026, the city issued new guidelines titled Measures to Accelerate High-Quality Development of AI-empowered Micro-Dramas in Shanghai, widely known as the Eight Shanghai Policies for AI Micro-Dramas. The release marks Shanghai’s full push to build a national industrial hub integrating AI and micro-dramas. As the industry undergoes profound transformation, creators must overhaul their creative mindsets and narrative techniques. The market now has an urgent need for young talent to lead the next wave of industry innovation.

This year’s festival puts premium development of micro-dramas at its core and hosts multi-tiered industry events to unlock fresh industrial innovation. It features a themed forum “Riding the AI Wave: The Path to Exquisite Micro-Dramas” and exclusive roundtables for AI-powered comic-style short dramas, where participants hold in-depth exchanges on the opportunities and challenges AI brings to audiovisual creation. Artificial intelligence is deployed across all segments of the festival, refining promotional clips and on-site exhibition visuals to elevate the overall event experience.

The festival builds a robust ecosystem for micro-drama through events and tangible industrial support. It launches the “Multiverse Micro-Drama Project” initiative to back original micro-drama production, paired with forums, business negotiations and award ceremonies. The initiative will present official recognition to outstanding creators, to steer the sector away from reckless, traffic-driven growth and disposable clickbait content to culturally valuable premium productions, guiding this emerging popular art form to evolve from a passing trend into a fully mature industrial sector.

Guided by the principle of “rooted in grassroots creation while pursuing higher artistic standards”, the event adopts four core evaluation criteria to select standout micro-dramas: thematic depth, storytelling artistry, production quality, and audience resonance. The selection process singles out works that carry profound ideological depth, genuine human warmth and distinct contemporary character. With STVF’s standing as an industry trailblazer, the event charts a clear roadmap for premium micro-drama development, aiming to amplify the global reach and cultural influence of Chinese micro-dramas. While China’s short-form drama sector holds an early-mover edge and leads the world in overall scale, the industry still faces tangible challenges, most notably inconsistent production quality and a wide gap between top-tier and mediocre works. As a preeminent industry pacesetter, the festival keeps pace with the evolution of mainstream popular arts. It sets exemplary high-quality titles to lift industry-wide standards, and explores actionable pathways for AI to shift micro-drama production from volume-driven mass output to quality-centric creation.

Cultivating young creative talent stands out as one of this festival’s most original highlights. For the very first time, the event unveils “Young Talents Gathering Day”, a full-day suite of programming designed exclusively for emerging filmmakers. This all-in-one platform gives rising audiovisual talents space to showcase work, connect with peers and advance professionally. The agenda unfolds across three core segments. An open mic session invites emerging creators to voice unfiltered ideas and spark creative dialogue. Two specialized workshops zero in on distinct industry verticals, blending real-world case studies with hands-on training and peer knowledge-sharing. Roundtable discussions gather young creators to exchange perspectives on fresh narrative approaches for full-length and mid-length series alike. Balancing insightful theoretical takeaways and practical know-how, the full lineup nurtures the next generation of audiovisual practitioners and steadily fuels the industry’s inherent capacity for original storytelling.

STVFORUM, a bellwether for industry trends, convenes in-depth discussions on core sector issues, fosters consensus on innovative practices, and inspires creative reflection across the production chain. This year’s opening forum, themed “Heritage and Innovation: A Contemporary Dialogue on Chinese Dramas”, brings together industry veterans and emerging young talents on the same stage to explore the cultural foundations and expressive nuances that enable Chinese dramas to resonate locally and strike a chord with global audiences. Continuing a cherished tradition, the Magnolia Awards Jury President Masterclass will feature Zhang Yongxin, a renowned Chinese director and president of the TV drama category jury. In light of current industry dynamics, he will share his insights and creative philosophies. Centered around the fundamental spirit of visual storytelling, his session delivers targeted professional guidance to practitioners across the sector.

New Dimensions

— Integrated Cultural, Commercial, Tourism, Sports and Exhibition Synergies Unleash New Momentum in Film & TV Consumption

Breaking free from the conventional confines of audiovisual events, this year’s STVF curates immersive festival experiences through diverse on-site interactive spaces. It coordinates urban resources citywide to amplify the festival’s ripple effect, introducing unique street-side offline activations that seamlessly connect gala celebrations with local cultural and tourism consumption.

The Magnolia Awards Ceremony, to be held in Lingang New Urban Area, will build closer ties with the district’s cultural and tourism assets. Striking a balance between professional prestige and broad public engagement, and widening the festival’s urban reach, the ceremony, as a landmark industry occasion, will inject renewed vitality into the regional cultural development.

The 30th STVF Magnolia Awards Ceremony

Lingang New Urban Area will host a bespoke Drama Street throughout the festival run. The year 2026 falls under the Horse zodiac in the Chinese lunar calendar. Taking its name from the phonetic twist on “drama”, the street’s concept also echoes the Year of the Horse, forming the core creative hook for all offline offerings. Showrunners and drama enthusiasts will gather at the block to immerse in the festival’s vibrant celebratory vibe. The zone showcases an array of hit audiovisual IPs in three themed immersive zones: Immersive Drama, Playful Drama and Drama Market. Iconic on-screen moments step outside exhibition halls and into city streets, crafting a multi-faceted outdoor destination open to sightseeing, hands-on interaction, shopping and discovery for locals and visitors alike. Central to the block stands the signature installation “Drama Carousel”. Dynamic light and shadow effects recreate fantastical settings from beloved series. Live demonstrations of ink-making intangible cultural heritage unfold alongside the exhibits, blending screen storytelling with age-old traditional crafts across artistic boundaries. Attendees can pick up an exclusive “Drama Explorer Passport” to visit brand booths and participating neighborhood merchants dotted along the street. Each stop rewards visitors with stamps and special drama points, which can be redeemed for limited-edition series merchandise. This gamified format injects extra layers of fun and engagement into the entire offline experience.

This year’s festival pioneers a five-pronged model of “Film & TV + Commerce + Tourism + Culture + Exhibitions”. It debuts brand-new immersive spaces for audiovisual consumption, shaping a full interactive loop combining the exclusive industry awards gala and an open-air public carnival accessible to all. Real-time integration between this landmark industry event and municipal cultural tourism sectors unlocks untapped consumption potential within Shanghai’s audiovisual industry. Diverse innovative business lines consistently invigorate the city’s cultural vitality, embedding film and television culture deep into residents’ everyday lives. The endeavor ultimately delivers triple gains: robust industrial growth, leisure experiences for locals, and thriving urban cultural tourism.