Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), China’s most prominent film festival, has been cancelled. The festival usually takes place in mid-June. However, according to Variety, the festival’s 25th edition will occur next year, in 2024.
What is Shanghai International Film Festival?
Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) was founded in 1993 and is China’s only FIAPF-approved competitive film festival. SIFF focuses on prizes, marketplaces, forums, and film exhibitions to create an international platform for the Chinese film industry’s development.
This is the first time SIFF has had to cancel events because of the pandemic. Last year, the festival held a hybrid edition, pushing festivities from June to late July, and screened over 440 films, mainly in physical screenings at 40 cinemas throughout the city.
The SIFF organising committee stated that it aimed to host film activities in the year’s second half.
The festival had not announced any titles for the 2022 season, typically including competition portions such as the Golden Goblet Awards and New Talent Awards and film finance platform SIFF Project, possibly anticipating its termination.
According to Maoyan, a Chinese ticketing platform, about 80% of the country’s theatres are up for business, up from roughly 47% in mid-April. However, Shanghai’s more than 300 movie theatres are still closed. China maintains its zero-Covid strategy despite low infection rates, including mass testing, rigorous quarantine, and quick lockdowns.
With a population of more than 25 million people, Shanghai, the country’s largest city and financial centre, has been under city-wide lockdown for two months. However, on June 1, restrictions were eased. Although cinemas were not included in the first wave, residents must still have a negative Covid test within 72 hours to use public transportation or enter public venues.
In light of the current situation and the re-emergence of a covid crisis, it is yet to be determined when the Shanghai International Film Festival will declare its date.
