The 27th Shanghai TV Festival Came to a Close

On the evening of June 10, the Magnolia Awards Ceremony of the 27th Shanghai TV Festival (STVF) was held in Shanghai Cultural Square. Leaders attending the ceremony were: Meng Dong, Member of the Leading Party Group and Deputy Director of the National Radio and Television Administration, Yan Xiaoming, Member of the Leading Party Group and Deputy Director of China Media Group, Zhou Huilin, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Publicity Department of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China, and Cai Wei, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress, Chen Tong, Vice Mayor of Shanghai, and Jin Xingming, Vice President of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. With the announcement of the winners of Magnolia Awards, the five-day STVF also concluded successfully.

The 27th STVF, held in the celebration of the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, has showcased the general pattern of rapid recovery and high-quality development of China's TV cause and industry in the post-epidemic period through work presentation, forum exchanges, industry exhibitions, and open screenings, etc. The influence of STVF, as the communication platform for Chinese and foreign television industries, promotion platform for China’s television creations, display platform for China’s television industry development, and sharing platform for television achievements, has grown widely and profoundly.

The Centenary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China

This year, STVF held a simple yet grand opening ceremony, at which the global screen project -“The Century of Glory, An Audio-video Feast for All” - was launched. From June to October this year, 50 excellent TV dramas, animations and documentaries, such as “Minning Town”, “Crossing the Yalu River” and “With You”, are to be screened on TV stations and new media platforms in more than 100 countries on five continents including Germany, Brazil, Nigeria, Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand to tell stories about the pursuit of dreams by the Chinese people and people all over the world. for example, “Minning Town”, which tells the story of poverty alleviation, will be exported to dozens of countries for the first time. Opening with the launch of the global screen project -“The Century of Glory, An Audio-video Feast for All” , STVF this year is committed to “tell the world the stories of China, spread the voice of China, and show the true China in a three-dimensional and comprehensive way”,  demonstrating the sense of mission and responsibility to actively facilitate international cultural exchanges.

The“‘Faith Sheds Light on Our Path’ Selected TV Drama Poster Exhibition to Celebrate the Centenary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China” held by the TV Market at Shanghai Exhibition Center attracted many visitors with huge magnificent posters. This poster exhibition featured 49 excellent TV dramas that have emerged in recent years, including the new ones, like“Minning Town”, “Crossing the Yalu River”, “With You”, “The Age of Awakening” and “Like a Flowing River 2”, which were shortlisted for the Magnolia Awards, as well as the classics such as “Soldiers Sortie”, “Drawing Sword”, and “Lurk”. These works bring out the mainstream themes and positive energy from diversified perspectives, in varied and fields, and with different artistic styles, reflecting the flourishing of our country's TV drama creation and production which suits both refined and popular tastes. The posters also brought back the memories of the visitors. Some recollect that, “The touch brought by ‘Soldiers Sortie’is still vivid for me. Every time the ending music sounds, I will be filled with tears.”

In addition, the STVForum, the Internet Summit, and the Magnolia Awards Ceremony, passing on the theme of the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, were dedicated to create a celebrating vibe for the centenary in an all-round way.

Realistic Themes  The mainstream works ignite the passion of the young

As one of the three major awards of Chinese TV, the Magnolia Awards of STVF, playing the role of windvane over years, has been widely recognized by the industry and audiences for its professionality. Since the announcement of the shortlist, it has been under the spotlight in all walks of life. On the Internet, “extreme confrontation” has become a vivid description of the fierce competition this year. “Realistic themes” and “main melody” have become two hot words. The phenomenon that the mainstream works are sought after widely by the young has inspired TV workers.

“This phenomenon is inseparable from the efforts of our industry. We still have faith, ideals, and professional ethics.” said Director Liu Jin, Jury President for the Magnolia Awards for TV drama this year, who has long been engaged in creating realistic themes. As the creation has risen to new heights, the spiritual needs of the audience are also upgrading. At the forums, markets, jury meet-and-greet, and winner meet-and-greet of this year's STVF, TV workers all expressed their pursuit and responsibility of paying tribute to the era, and recording the era as a witness, as well as their confidence to improve the quality of creation and present more fine works for the people, as this is the mission endowed to TV workers by the era.

During this year's STVF, the discussion on realistic works and mainstream works lasts from the Magnolia Awards selection to STVForum, Internet Summit and other sections.

The main creators of the five shortlisted dramas including “Minning Town”, “Crossing the Yalu River”, “With You”, “The Age of Awakening”, and “Stage Builder”shared their creation and shooting experience at STVForum on “New Trends in the Creation of Fine TV Drama in the New Era”. These realistic masterpieces have embodied the secret of creation, that is, understand life, restore life, and transcend life, conveyed the efforts and confidence of TV workers to achieve new creation heights, and won wide and high praise from the young.

A Bumper Year of Creation

Magnolia Awards recognized the double harvest of works and industry

At this year’s STVF, almost everyone agrees that: this year is the “bumper year” for TV workers: in terms of creation, a large number of outstanding dramas have been created, and the industry has also made remarkable progress.

A few facts can tell everything. The shortlist of this year’s Magnolia Awards for TV drama will serve as the best proof for the persistent efforts of TV drama worker in the past year. 10 workers boasting both popularity and praise, “Minning Town”, “Crossing the Yalu River”, “With You”, “The Age of Awakening”, “Like a Flowing River”, “My Best Friend’s Story”, “Trident”, “Nothing But Thirty”, “Fearless Whispers”and “Stage Builder”, competed the award for the Best TV Series (China); the performers, Chen Jianbin, Huang Xuan, Wang Kai, Yu Hewei, Zhang Jiayi and Ni Ni, Reyiza, Tan Songyun, Tong Yao, Yan Ni and others, shortlisted for the award for“Best Actor/Actress”, all have won the favor of the audience with masterly acting skills and vivid characters.

The Internet audiovisual industry, sharing the same earnest in creation with traditional television industry, is also recognized by the market. The 2021 Shanghai International Film & Television Festival Internet Summit, released during the STVF three authoritative reports, “China's New Audiovisual Media Development Report (2021)”, “Online Original Program Development Analysis Report (2020）” and “China Online Quality Video Research Report (2021)” , revealing that the online content in 2020 has made achievements in many fields such as online dramas, online film, online variety shows, online documentaries, and online animations. Works in this industry have entered the right track of pursuing quality; and these high-quality content, after the number of Internet users in China exceeded the 900 million, also drove the industry to grow further. The reports show that online audiovisual revenue in 2020 has reached RMB 294.393 billion, a year-on-year increase of 69.37%!

These achievements and new trends at this year's STVF will also guide content creation, promote in-depth thinking in the industry, and ultimately power the further expansion of the industry and enrich the material and cultural life of the people.

Communication Bridge

Boost the confidence of industry recovery

STVF has always been a communication bridge between China and rest of the world, industry and market, works and audiences. Although the gloom of epidemic lingers still, with the joint efforts of all parties, this bridge is firm, robust and heartwarming.

As a communication platform for all parties in the international and domestic industrial chain, the TV market and the “International Film and TV Online Market”, which combines the market events of SIFF and STVF, all achieved considerable results. This year, there are 164 exhibitors at the physical TV market, including China International Television Corporation (CITVC), SMG, Huace Croton, Perfect World Pictures, New Classics Pictures, Shanghai Radio and Film Production Industry Association, TV Production Committee of China Federation of Radio and Television Associations and other domestic leading companies and associations.

And the “International Film and Television Online Market” has gathered a total of 402 international exhibitors from 45 countries and regions, including international film and television companies Paramount Pictures, NTV and Toei Animation, etc., and overseas exhibiting media organizations include PCCW, FUJI TELEVISION, etc. During this event, conferences and other activities, held both online and offline, has built a platform for domestic buyers to discover overseas high-quality content and promoted exchanges between domestic exhibitors and overseas buyers.

While attracting large companies and organizations to exhibit, TV market also poses enduring appeal to small, medium and micro film companies. Small, medium and micro film and television companies are an indispensable force in the industry. The hundreds of professional buyers registered for TV market each year bring tangible conversions every year. These companies only rent “standard booths” each year, and the works they promote are few yet competitive, but they have become “old friends” of the TV market.

The Festival for the People   Open screening draws people closer

The city of the people is built by the people, and for the people. STVF is not only an “annual gathering” for TV workers, but also a festival for the people.

This International TV Showcase broadcasted on ICS, Shanghai East Movie Channel, DOCUTV, and Toonmax TV 37 excellent international TV programs with a total of about 80 episodes. Among them, there 16 animations such as “SHUKE BEITA 2”, “DouLuo Continent”, etc.; 12 overseas dramas include “Kiss on the Face” which pays tribute to medical staff, and “LOUIS VAN BEETHOVEN” artistically restoring the legendary musician Beethoven’s ups and downs in life, “LEONARDO” Season I, a biographical work that reveals the inner world of the painter and scientist Leonardo da Vinci; 9 documentary films, including “LITTLE GIANTS”, etc.

In addition, the STVF offline open screening popular among the citizens also expanded its scale this year, covering another 6 venues in the INLET in Bingang Commer cial Center, Jinqiao International Commercial Plaza, Life Hub Upbund, Songjiang Yunjian Granary Cultural and Creative Park, Fengxian Museum, and Jiading Xiyun Tower, and screened a total of 14 excellent TV works at home and abroad in 25 sessions, allowing the public to share the latest creations of Chinese and foreign TV artists. This is also the first time that the open screening of STVF has entered the new urban areas in Fengxian and Jiading and were received by the citizens enthusiastically.

The audience said that the open screening can convey the tender caring from an international metropolis and awaken their childhood memories, “Enjoying a summer night’s audiovisual feast with family and friends brings a lot of fun and happiness.” Director Zheng Dasheng, participating in the first open screening also said with emotions: “Faced with the epidemic, we have to keep social distance physically and even mentally. Yet at such a time, it is rare to offer everyone a chance to enjoy film and TV works in such a public space. And it has brought us closer.”