Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) Photo: VCG

The 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has officially opened, with the opening ceremony held on Saturday night. This year's festival has received around 4,100 film entries from 125 countries and regions, with places like Ghana and Mozambique submitting for the first time. The number of films from the Americas and Africa has also increased significantly. Notably, both the main competition and documentary sections are, for the first time, featuring only world premieres. 

Industry professionals said that this shows more and more directors are willing to choose Shanghai for their film's global debut - a strong sign of recognition and respect for both the city and the festival itself.

According to the People's Daily, SIFF is now forging deep, two-way exchanges with world cinema. Of all Golden Goblet Award competition films this year, 41 are world premieres - 83.67 percent of the total - an increase of 6.12 percent compared to 2025. In the main competition, all 12 films are world premieres, each with its own artistic style and regional flavor. Here, film acts as a universal language, encouraging broad and deep cultural conversations.

The report said that diversity is one of the highlights of this year's Golden Goblet Awards. The selected films come from 34 countries and regions. Additionally, for the first time, co-productions from Middle Eastern countries like Jordan and Saudi Arabia are competing in the Asian New Talent section. Meanwhile, a Moroccan film has entered the main competition for the first time in 27 years.

"If all the films shown at SIFF have already been judged or screened at other festivals, how can the film festival develop its own style and identity? This change is very positive for SIFF as a top international film festival," Li Sixue, a film critic and researcher based in Beijing and London, told the Global Times on Sunday. She added that these changes also increase the prestige and influence of the festival's awards.

Luo Luo, a film critic and producer based in Beijing, agrees. She said this is proof that SIFF's global influence and reputation are rising.

Li noted that special screenings have always been a strong point of SIFF. This year, she is most excited about two sections: first, a group of five films adapted from or related to the works of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. "These are classic films that are rarely seen in cinemas, and tickets usually sell out immediately," she noted. The second is the retrospective showcase of works starring this year's jury president, Tony Leung Chiu-wai.

Luo is also looking forward to seeing Leung's films on the big screen. "Leung has had a career spanning more than 40 years, with many classic and excellent roles. This year's selected films represent his different stages as an actor, showing both his personal growth and the development of Chinese-language cinema. I think this is very meaningful," she told the Global Times.

These high-quality films have truly excited movie fans. Online ticket sales reached 250,000 tickets in just 15 minutes, according to The Paper, a Shanghai-based news outlet.

This year, SIFF also highlights AI in filmmaking. For the first time, the festival has launched the "AI Film Studio" section, where industry professionals and AI creators team up together. Over the course of a month, they will work together using AI tools to create short films. The whole process is designed for open observation and discussion with the aim of offering new insights into AI-assisted filmmaking, reported the China News Service.

The festival is set to run until June 21. Major awards, including the Golden Goblet for Best Film, will be announced at an awards ceremony on June 20.