Shanghai International Film Festival | Shanghai
Celebration
The Shanghai International Film Festival was founded in 1993; in 1994, it was certified by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (IFPA) as China's first and, to date, only non-specialized competitive international film festival (i.e., an A-list international film festival). The 28th Shanghai International Film Festival will be held in Shanghai, China, from June 12 to 21, 2026. The poster for this film festival is themed "Every Light and Shadow Tells a Story," continuing the dialogue between the city and film. The promotional video "Entering the Scene is Entering the Play" is interpreted as an "invitation" from the film, implying that people can find the shadow of film in life and see the possibility of life in film. It is directed by Wang Tong, the young director who won the Jury Prize in the main competition of the previous Golden Goblet Awards, and stars Huang Bo, Wan Qian, and Feng Maya. During this film festival, the "Belt and Road" Film Week, organized by the alliance, will promote cultural exchanges between China and Arab countries through activities such as the "Honoring the Arabs" themed lifestyle market. Serving important moments in national diplomacy, this year's film festival will also collaborate with China Media Group to present an "Egyptian Film Week" in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Egypt, showcasing classic works by Youssef Shah, the "father of Egyptian cinema," as well as high-quality new Egyptian films. In conjunction with the "China-Brazil Cultural Year," a film exhibition section titled "Focus on Brazil" will be organized to showcase the diverse social landscape of contemporary Brazil. The international film market will open with an "Opening Reception and Brazil Night," deepening cooperation and collaboration between the Chinese and Brazilian film industries. As a leading international film festival in terms of scale and exhibition volume, the Shanghai International Film Festival's screening section has consistently focused on personalized, diverse, and high-quality viewing needs, presenting a high-quality, diverse, large-scale, and richly varied screening landscape, becoming an important platform for the introduction, distribution, and reputation building of new international films. This year's festival will screen over 420 international films, which will be organized into different thematic sections and screened a total of over 1,500 times.