
SIFF opens with record-breaking premiere rate
The 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) raised the curtain on June 13, launching 10 days of cinematic celebration that will run through June 22. With a record-breaking lineup and a dynamic fusion of art and industry, this year's festival sets a new benchmark in scale, diversity, and ambition.
The 27th SIFF received more than 3,900 submissions from 119 countries and regions, the highest total in its history. Among them, more than 2,800 films were submitted for competition in the five Golden Goblet Award categories.
Notably, this year's festival includes more than 1,820 world premieres and over 520 international premieres. The combined premiere rate exceeds 80 percent, setting a new festival record.
The Golden Goblet jury — comprising 21 members from 13 countries and regions —is chaired by Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore. The jury includes a younger-than-usual cohort of creatives, especially in the Asian New Talent category, with an average age of just 35. Their diverse backgrounds and fresh perspectives are expected to bring bold insights to this year's selections.
Film lovers can look forward to over 400 films screened across approximately 1,500 sessions, including around 100 in-person Q&A sessions with filmmakers. These screenings cover a wide range of genres, themes, and styles, reflecting SIFF's commitment to both artistic excellence and audience engagement.
In addition to the film showcase, industry-focused events will shine a spotlight on the future of cinema. The SIFFORUM, SIFF Masterclass, and International Film & TV Market will gather top professionals for high-level discussions, trend forecasting, and cross-border collaboration.
SIFF also continues to support emerging talent. This year's SIFF ING focuses on two cutting-edge creative tracks — AIGC and vertical video — to discover, encourage, and nurture the next generation of filmmakers. Related events will be held from June 20 to 21.
Special events such as the Belt and Road Film Week, Sci-Fi Film Week, and SIFF XR will zero in on emerging sectors, new technologies, and cross-industry convergence — offering fresh perspectives and expanding the possibilities of global cinema.
The Golden Goblet Award Ceremony will be held on June 21 at the Shanghai Grand Theatre, where the festival will honor outstanding artistic achievements from around the world.
For more information:
https://english.shanghai.gov.cn/en-27thSIFF/index.html
View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/siff-opens-with-record-breaking-premiere-rate-302482226.html
SOURCE english.shanghai.gov.cn
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
BTS's TinyTAN Toys Coming To McDonald's Happy Meals This September
Ever since the global superstar group BTS collaborated with McDonald's in 2021, BTS fans – known as ARMY – have been requesting BTS-themed Happy Meal toys. There were numerous options that fans suggested, including BTS' mini-figures called TinyTAN, or their LINE FRIENDS characters, BT21. McDonald's had already created Happy Meal toys featuring BT21 in 2023, but they were only available in select Asian countries. Now, McDonald's has listened to all of ARMY's suggestions and is teaming up with BTS' character line, TinyTAN, to create lovable characters based on the seven members for their Happy Meal to be distributed GLOBALLY, starting on September 3, for a limited time only. For the first time, there will be two different sets of toys for the TinyTAN Happy Meal: The 'Throwback Edition' featuring each character rocking the 2021 BTS Meal promo outfits and the 'Encore Edition' featuring each character sporting outfits that nod to the second legendary collab with McDonald's, available Sept. 23. Even the boxes are different! Once you receive your Happy Meal, visit and scan the code on the Happy Meal box to play the TinyTAN Power Up game, which features the TinyTAN characters cheering you on while you sing your heart out to your favorite BTS tunes. The fun doesn't stop there! For those in the Los Angeles area, McDonald's is hosting a 'Magic Meetup' where fans can step into the rhythm of TinyTAN with an immersive, multisensory experience, filled with music and 'Happy Meal magic' on September 27-28 at nya West. Details of the event will be shared at a later date. With the release of a new Encore Edition, we can expect new commercials and promotional photos, as the group reunited in June of this year after completing their military service. Since then, BTS has announced their plans for new music and a World Tour in 2026, so fans have a lot more to look forward to. Who will they collaborate with next? Of course, everything is while supplies last. You can bet these will sell out quickly. For more information, check out McDonald's New Menu Spotter and their social media pages for upcoming BTS announcements.


Gizmodo
3 hours ago
- Gizmodo
‘Kirby Air Riders' on Switch 2 Makes a Better Case for the GameCube Than Nintendo Ever Did
'I have no idea what is happening right now.' I sigh several variations of that phrase in the hour I spent playing through a sliver of Nintendo's upcoming Switch 2 exclusive Kirby Air Riders. I'm tired after a full day's work—somewhere between fried and manic—but the racing game, which director Masahiro Sakurai quipped in his Tuesday Nintendo Direct was 'basically Mario Kart,' is akin to being thrown hurtling down the mouth of a kaleidoscope at 200 miles per hour. I know I won some races and battles and lost in others, but if I try and recreate the scene of my pink puffball hurtling down a track or smacking other racers, it turns into a vague, vibrant blur in my memory. Like Nintendo's 2001-era console itself, the original Kirby Air Ride for the GameCube was an odd duckling when it hit the scene in 2003. At the time, critics were surprised by the game's simplicity. Unlike most other kart racers, you didn't need to press any button to speed off at full tilt—the game did it for you. Air Rider used a single button for controls alongside the thumbstick to turn left and right. Players only had a single racer to choose from at the start (Kirby, in pink or a variety of pastel shades) and a paltry few characters to unlock later. That earlier title was limited by its system and its scope. Kirby Air Riders on the Switch 2 can make use of the necessary processing power for more action on-screen, and it seems the scope for this sequel has expanded beyond anything Sakurai and his old compatriots at the studio HAL Laboratory could ever consider two decades ago. Kirby Air Riders gets its name not just through the old Aliens gimmick of adding an 'S' to a sequel title, but because you now have a full selection of different characters and your riding 'Machines'—both air and land-based—to choose from. There's the expected Meta Knight and King Dedede, but if you never played another Kirby game, you may be confused by characters such as Chef Kawasaki and Knuckle Joe. Each character has different stats, such as weight, speed, and flight, as well as a special ability that changes how each plays. Similarly, each craft offers a unique twist. The 'Winged Star' may be able to glide for longer, but the tank lets racers drive in one direction and boost in another. While the original Kirby Air Ride notoriously only used a single button for controls, the big landmark addition to the controls is the second button. Now, when your special meter hits a peak from defeating on-track enemies or smashing your fellow racers, you can hit Y to unleash a special move that's different for every racer. Otherwise, you flick the joystick around to attack opponents and enemies as you rocket through each track. Pulling back on the stick off a jump allows most craft to glide for a certain amount of time, and landing perfectly offers a small boost. Still, you're only ever focusing on the joystick and a single button at any one time. The 'B' button stops your craft and builds up boost (though some Machines like the 'Cart' can't generate boost). Releasing the button shoots you forward. This allows for expert players to drift around corners and hit the NOS to slip past their competitors. The button has even more functions. Tapping it lets each character—not just Kirby—suck up enemies to gain a temporary power to attack your fellow racers with. On the GameCube, this control scheme was oversimplified. On the Switch 2 sequel 22 years later, it's necessary. You are rocketing so fast down each course that remembering any more buttons would only result in even worse headaches. If Mario Kart World's wall riding and rail grinding features rely on technical finesse, winning in Kirby Air Riders is about how much information you can process in the blink of an eye. I had the chance to take a few turns around the typical Air Ride mode on two tracks, both of which were full of bright, colorful environments, music that combined cutesy with high-octane, and enough shit flying at the screen that I couldn't get a grip. Then I went through several full matches of the new City Trial mode. Racers hop into a large single city environment where they have a limited time to collect as many stat power-ups as possible from the environment or off their fellow riders. Then, each player participates in a mini-game where you try to use your stats to beat your opponents. One such mini-game was an air-based race where those with the right Machines and flying stats would have the edge. Another asked me to collect the most food on a small section of the map. I won both, and I still couldn't tell you how I did it. I had collected so many speed upgrades I could hardly control the character. I can imagine City Trial would get boring if it's confined to the same map. Though I asked, Nintendo wouldn't say how many tracks there are in the final game. I also begged company reps to tell me whether Nintendo planned to add extra control options, but the company is keeping mum as we head toward the Nov. 20 release date. The Switch 2 is built with unique control options such as gyro and mouse mode, but it's unclear if either will make an appearance in the game. With the need for only two buttons, you could technically play Kirby Air Riders on one of the refreshed NES controllers Nintendo launched back on the original Switch. That's when I considered the Switch 2's exclusive options, and it was all too obvious. The best controller for this game may be the revitalized GameCube Switch 2 gamepad. The big green 'A' button was built for this kind of minimalist control scheme. The full-range joystick would be a boon when trying to pull off any spin attacks or when trying to take a tight turn. The closest game that can claim to offer the same sense of blistering speed is, funnily enough, F-Zero GX for the GameCube. In that game and other modern takes on the antigravity racing genre, like 2024's Redout, you only ever had to worry about your fellow racers, boost pads, and a few track hazards. In Kirby Air Riders, you need to be concerned with opposing racers' special attacks, enemies on the track, boost circles, ramps, aerial shortcuts, and more besides. I never felt sick playing the game, but the speed was enough; I bet there are some players who will get overstimulated until they're green in the face after one too many rounds. Nintendo's Switch 2 has been effective in making a stronger case for the GameCube than it ever did when the company released the boxy console more than 20 years ago. On Aug. 21, the Mario maker is dropping Chibi-Robo, a cult classic, available for Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers. Based on my limited preview, Kirby Air Riders seems like the final form of the 2003 original without the 'S.' Now we just need to see if Metroid Prime 4: Beyond can offer the same magic as the original Metroid Prime did in 2002. Nintendo has consistently claimed the game starring Samus is coming in 2025, but we'll need to wait and see if that promise holds true.


Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
Fueling Creativity And Business: CultureCon Joins Forces With Chase Ink
While the creator economy landscape continues to evolve due to the ever-changing economy, creators can rest assured, as there's one constant that remains — CultureCon. Since its inception, the festival has consistently served as a bastion of hope and community for Black and brown creatives worldwide, who seek to expand their networks and platforms. Throughout the years, the annual event's programming has featured an illustrious roster of legendary names, including Michelle Obama, Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, and many others. As this year's CultureCon, October 4-5 in Brooklyn, NY, quickly approaches, their list of collaborations has significantly expanded, along with their programming, thanks to their latest partnership with Chase Ink, the presenting sponsor for the premier festival for creators of color. As part of the partnership, festivalgoers can expect over 100 cutting-edge panels covering topics such as entrepreneurship, AI, sports, and Imani Ellis, the founder and CEO of CultureCon, this alliance will offer an abundance of resources for the creator community for years to come, especially with the launch of the first-ever Founder Summit at this year's gathering.'Our partnership with Chase Ink represents a true alignment in values. This year, Chase Ink is not only presenting CultureCon as a whole, but also powering our first-ever Founder Summit that will equip our community with the resources they need to launch and scale their businesses,' Ellis said. 'Additionally, the Chask Ink Small Business Market returns to CultureCon, inviting guests to shop local brands on-site. This partnership unlocks new possibilities — access to funding, financial literacy, and business tools that directly impact bottom lines. That kind of support has ripple effects: we're talking about building generational wealth, creating jobs, and closing opportunity gaps in our community.'While the Founder Summit is a new addition to this year's programming, its purpose has always been embedded in the fabric of CultureCon — equipping creatives with the necessary resources to balance the creative and entrepreneurial aspects of their respective journeys, ultimately achieving maximum success. Ellis believes the summit will help provide the necessary support for creatives to achieve longevity, not only for themselves but also for their respective brands.'At CultureCon, we believe creatives should honor both their artistry and their business acumen. Our commitment is to equip our community with the tools they need to help them scale their visions with confidence. With the launch of the Founder Summit, presented by Chase Ink, we're empowering creatives to step into the business side of creativity, prioritizing financial education to sustain themselves and their brands. Creatives are not just shaping culture—they're building sustainable legacies.'While Ellis's affinity for supporting marginalized creators is demonstrably evident, the same can be said for Chase Ink. According to Jenny Shum, General Manager of Chase Small Business Card, their involvement aligns with their goals of empowering and celebrating entrepreneurs.'At Chase Ink, we champion the evolving spirit of entrepreneurship and creator culture, which is on full display at CultureCon. We are honored to serve as the 2025 presenting sponsor of this event, which unites creative visionaries and bold brands. This sponsorship is about more than presence; it's about facilitating meaningful conversations in this community and providing support to the founders who are redefining what it means to be a business owner. Chase Ink empowers entrepreneurs with the services, tools, and insights they need to thrive, which will be on full display at our panel sessions, Chase Ink Marketplace featuring exciting brands at the two-day event.'CultureCon may be an annual event, but the myriad of resources and advocacy for the creator community is year-round, according to Ellis. 'Although CultureCon is our tentpole event of the year, we support our community beyond the conference,' Ellis said. 'Through grants, mentorship programs, workshops, free therapy offerings, and community care, CultureCon offers year-round opportunities to empower the next generation of creativity, and we're excited to work alongside our partners to continue to bring these initiatives to life and create a sustainable and empowering ecosystem.'