Showbiz Pros Gather at Shenzhen Festival

SHENZHEN, China, March 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 2,000 film and TV companies and over 5,000 showbiz professionals are gathering at a heavyweight industry event that kicked off this morning in Shenzhen.

Founded in 2010, the China International New Media Short Film Festival (CSFF) is the country's only nationally recognized international short film festival, held every year in Shenzhen. Shenzhen Media Group is one of the organizers of the festival. The city also hosts the China (Shenzhen) International TV Drama Trading Fair, which was initiated in December 2014.

Last year, the two events merged into one, with a conference added to the schedule for discussions on policies, directions, and trends for the industry.

During the opening ceremony this morning, the National Radio and Television Administration announced the establishment of a "Ju Hao Kan" ("Good Dramas") Big Screen On-Demand Alliance. The alliance, which adopts blockchain technology, will ensure that high-quality content — including web series and short or medium-length dramas — can easily reach mainstream broadcasting platforms across the country. It also guarantees that content creators can view broadcast data and that revenue-sharing records are traceable.

Industry heavyweights, including iQiyi founder and CEO Gong Yu, gave speeches on topics such as the impact and empowerment of AI in film and drama production.

A report on the short drama industry, a study on its future growth, and a white paper on the overseas expansion of Chinese short dramas will be released during the conference.

Meanwhile, China's State TV, Mango TV, Hunan Satellite TV, and premium video platforms like iQiyi, Youku, Tencent, and Hongguo Short Drama will announce their production plans for 2026.

In addition to the platforms, leading production firms, including Daylight Entertainment ("Nirvana in Fire"), Huace Film & TV, and Linmon Media ("A Little Reunion," "Nothing But Thirty"), are participating alongside Hengdian World Studios and other shooting bases. More than 30 of these firms will release trailers for new shows. The event also pools resources from Crazy Maple Studio, the company behind ReelShort, and Jiuzhou Culture, operator of 99TV.

Nearly 200 companies and institutions have set up booths in a 3,000-square-meter space, including tech and media giants Google, Sony, and Amazon. Over 150 professional buyers and representatives from more than 80 investing firms are expected to attend.

Exhibition spaces devoted to companies from Hong Kong and Macao, as well as nine seminars focusing on the integration of the film and drama industry in the Greater Bay Area, aim to create synergy in the region's showbiz revival.

An AIGC and Digital Technology Zone, covering over 1,000 square meters, will feature cutting-edge imaging solutions from major players including Volcengine, Tencent Cloud, and Alibaba Cloud. Among the highlights is Seedance, an AI-powered motion capture system previously featured at China's Spring Festival Gala.

This year, the CSFF has received more than 500 short films submitted by creators from all APEC economies. The festival's prestigious KingBonn Director Supporting Program has selected 15 winners from a total of 4,306 submissions. This year will also see the addition of the Annual Premium Short Drama award and the APEC Economies Premium Short Films and Drama award.

Shenzhen, which produced the popular short TV series "Miracle" and the "Boonie Bears" films, is a leader in the film and drama industry. According to DataEye founder Wang Xiangbin, from January to October 2025, overseas in-app purchase revenue for short dramas exceeded US$1.847 billion, with Shenzhen enterprises contributing over 50% of China's exports.

SOURCE Shenzhen Media Group