Shanghai International Film Festival Photo: VCG

The 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has unveiled its screening schedule, revealing a lineup of more than 420 films to be screened at 52 venues as ticket sales begin Friday.

Online ticket sales begin at 12 pm on Friday and offline sales start two hours later. The 2026 festival will run from June 12 to June 21, extending beyond its traditional closing date. Special encore screenings of winners of the Golden Goblet Awards and other popular titles will be held after the conclusion of SIFF.

Over 420 films from around the world will be screened across more than 1,500 showings across 47 cinemas in Shanghai and venues in five cities throughout the Yangtze River Delta region, according to the SIFF.

Among the festival's signature sections, the "Tribute to Masters" program will feature retrospective exhibitions dedicated to Hollywood director Billy Wilder and actress Marilyn Monroe, as well as a showcase of works by British filmmaker Ken Loach. The "Special Memorial" section will present representative films by veteran Chinese filmmakers including Sang Hu, Huang Zuolin and Shen Yaoting.

As this year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, a special Chinese-language program titled "Grand Landscape: A Cinematic Portrait of China" will feature around 15 classic and new films that showcase the geographical and cultural diversity of the country, connecting cinematic storytelling with the country's iconic travel destinations and ethnic traditions. 

Reflecting developments in film technology, the festival will continue to offer screenings in premium formats including IMAX and Dolby. This year's lineup will also feature selections such as Steven Spielberg's sci-fi classics and the sci-fi animation trilogy of acclaimed French animator René Laloux, according to the SIFF.

The new release sections promise equal excitement. Popular strands including "New From Auteur," "Viva La Festival," "Cannes Express," and "SIFF Gala" will continue to bring together some of the most influential new films from around the world.

This year's festival will integrate moviegoing with transportation, tourism, dining and retail experiences through partnerships with multiple platforms, extending the cinema experience into a citywide cultural and lifestyle event, according to The Paper.cn.

Sun Jiashan, an associate researcher at the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration, told the Global Times that the festival is also expected to boost local consumption through the growing "ticket stub economy," in which movie tickets provide access to discounts and promotions in sectors such as dining, retail, accommodation and transportation.

"The ticket stub economy uses films and performances as entry points to connect cultural consumption with a wider range of services through a 'one ticket, multiple benefits' model," noted Sun. 

He added that the approach creates a multiplier effect by linking otherwise fragmented consumer activities and generating broader economic benefits.