Micro-Dramas Take Center Stage at the Shanghai TV Festival

SHANGHAI, June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st Shanghai TV Festival (STVF) has placed micro-dramas at the center of its industry agenda, reflecting the rapid rise of short-form content and China's leading position in the global micro-drama market. Through a series of forums and industry activities, this year's festival explored how technological innovation and new production models are reshaping the future of micro-drama creation. China's micro-drama industry has gained a clear first-mover advantage globally, prompting this year's festival to place greater emphasis on the sector's high-quality development.

A centerpiece of the program was the Magnolia Forum, "AI-Driven Road to Premium Micro-Dramas," held on June 23 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. The event brought together regulators, platform executives, industry experts and frontline creators to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming micro-drama production while maintaining storytelling quality and creative standards.

The forum recognized six outstanding micro-dramas: Inside and Outside the Home, Miracle, Flash Marriage Rose, Summer Fendera, Tang Dynasty Strange Tales and Zhuquetang. Representatives from the productions shared their creative experiences, emphasizing that strong screenwriting remains the foundation of high-quality micro-dramas.

Industry leaders outlined the sector's rapid expansion. Tencent Video reported that its micro-drama user base has surpassed 120 million, with per-capita viewing time increasing by 32 percent year over year. In 2025, the platform released more than 180 horizontal-screen short dramas, with 17 projects generating more than 10 million yuan each. By 2026, nine projects had already exceeded the 10-million-yuan mark, including two that surpassed 20 million yuan and one that exceeded 30 million yuan.

Artificial intelligence emerged as the dominant theme of the discussions. Speakers noted that AI-assisted production has become widely adopted across the sector, improving efficiency in script development, production and post-production while enhancing rather than replacing human creativity. As one producer put it, AI handles the heavy lifting, allowing them to focus on human stories.

The forum also highlighted the international expansion of Chinese micro-dramas. Industry representatives noted that Chinese short-form productions are attracting growing overseas audiences, while advances in AI translation and content generation are lowering barriers to international distribution and cross-border collaboration.

Chen Guo, Managing Director of the Shanghai International Film & TV Events Center, said the festival's expanded focus on micro-dramas reflects both the industry's rapid growth and the need to encourage higher-quality production standards, with the aim of helping the sector move from an era of scale toward one of premium content.

The initiatives unveiled at this year's STVF underscore China's efforts to advance the high-quality development of micro-dramas through technological innovation, industry collaboration and international exchange, further consolidating its position as a global leader in short-form content.

SOURCE STVF