Overview
The Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) is the only FIAPF A-list competitive film festival in mainland China. The 28th edition ran June 12 to 21, 2026, in Shanghai. SIFF is one of approximately 15 festivals worldwide holding FIAPF's highest-level competitive accreditation, placing it alongside Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Locarno. The festival screens several hundred films across competitive and non-competitive sections and draws audiences numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
The Golden Goblet Award is the festival's top prize, awarded across five competitive categories: Main Competition (feature films), Asian New Talent, Documentary, Animation, and Short Film. The 28th edition in June 2026 saw 12 films world premiere in the Main Competition, with the jury led by Tony Leung Chiu-wai. China's Atlantic Rhapsody, directed by Zhong Kaifeng, won the Golden Goblet for Best Feature Film. The 27th edition in June 2025 saw 49 entries compete across these five categories, with the Main Competition jury led by Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore. Kyrgyzstan's Black Red Yellow, directed by Aktan Arym Kubat, won the Golden Goblet for Best Feature Film.
SIFF also operates the SIFF Project Market and the SIFF Market, which connect filmmakers with producers, investors, and distributors. The festival is held at venues across Shanghai including the Shanghai Grand Theatre (awards ceremony) and major cinema complexes.
Key Sections
- Main Competition - international feature films competing for the Golden Goblet. 8 major awards: Best Film, Jury Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Outstanding Artistic Achievement
- Asian New Talent - competition for debut and emerging Asian directors. Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Script Writer, Best Cinematography
- Documentary Competition - nonfiction features competing for Best Documentary
- Animation Competition - animated features competing for Best Animation Film
- Short Film Competition - live action and animated shorts. Awards: Best Live Action Short Film, Best Animated Short Film
- International Panorama - non-competitive showcase of international films
- Chinese Film Panorama - new Chinese features
- SIFF Project Market - co-production and financing market for projects in development
- SIFF Market - film market for sales and distribution
Submission Details
SIFF accepts open submissions through its official website. The festival does not use FilmFreeway.
28th edition (2026) submission deadlines:
- Feature films (Main Competition, Asian New Talent, Documentary, Animation, International Panorama): March 31, 2026
- Short films (Live Action and Animation):
- Early Bird: January 31, 2026 - USD $25 per film
- Regular: March 10, 2026 - USD $35 per film
- Final: March 31, 2026 - USD $45 per film
Eligibility requirements:
- Main Competition, Asian New Talent, Documentary, Animation: films completed in the country of origin after April 1, 2025. World premieres or international premieres are preferred
- International Panorama: films completed after January 1, 2025
- Short films: completed after April 1, 2025. Documentary shorts cannot be submitted as live-action projects. Documentaries made using animation techniques may be submitted as animated shorts
- Selected films must deliver DCP by May 20, 2026
- Additional materials (synopsis, stills, director bio, cast and crew list, English subtitle list, poster, trailer) must reach the festival by May 15, 2026
Submission procedure:
- Complete online registration at www.siff.com
- Submit screener via media storage device (DVD, USB, hard disk) or online screener
- All transport costs for screener delivery, including customs fees and insurance, are the responsibility of the submitter
What Filmmakers Should Know
SIFF is the primary international gateway to theatrical distribution in mainland China. A Golden Goblet selection or award gives a film immediate visibility with Chinese distributors and audiences. The Main Competition is by invitation and open submission, with the festival programming committee selecting approximately 12 to 16 films for the competition lineup.
Content restrictions apply. All submissions are evaluated within Chinese regulatory guidelines, and films must comply with local content standards. Filmmakers should be aware that films dealing with certain political, social, or historical topics may face evaluation challenges. Non-Chinese language films must have English subtitles.
The SIFF Project Market is a separate co-production market that selects approximately 30 to 40 projects in development each year. Selected projects receive mentoring, producer matching, and opportunities to pitch to investors.
The Asian New Talent section is specifically for first or second-time Asian directors. Winning this section has launched international careers.
Major Awards
Main Competition (Golden Goblet): Best Feature Film, Jury Grand Prix, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Outstanding Artistic Achievement.
Asian New Talent: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Script Writer, Best Cinematography.
Other Categories: Best Documentary, Best Animation Film, Best Live Action Short Film, Best Animated Short Film.
Festival History
SIFF was founded in 1993 and held its first edition in October of that year. The festival initially operated on a biennial schedule before transitioning to an annual schedule. SIFF received FIAPF A-list accreditation, making it the only mainland Chinese festival to hold this status.
The Golden Goblet Award was established as the festival's top competitive prize from its founding. Over three decades, the Main Competition has awarded films from across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The SIFF Project Market has become one of the most active development markets in East Asia.
Past Winners
2026 (28th edition):
- Best Feature Film: Atlantic Rhapsody (China), directed by Zhong Kaifeng. A debut feature following a supermarket employee searching for memories through sounds. Also won Best Cinematography. International sales handled by Rediance.
- Jury Grand Prix: Iluminada (Belgium), directed by Nicolas Rincon Gille
- Best Director: Yassine El Idrissi for Halima (Morocco). The film also won Best Actress (Khadija Amari).
- Best Actor: Zhang Songwen in Secret in the Box (China/Hong Kong)
- Best Screenplay: Reis Celik for Night of Blindness (Turkey/Germany)
- Outstanding Artistic Achievement: The Miserable Mother (Germany/France), directed by Susanne Heinrich
- Asian New Talent Best Film: Her First Taste (China), directed by Gong Yiwen. Also won Best Actress (Ma Fufu).
- Asian New Talent Best Director: Sompot Chidgasornpongse for 9 Temples to Heaven (Thailand)
- Best Feature Film: Black Red Yellow (Kyrgyzstan), directed by Aktan Arym Kubat. Later streamed on Klassiki.
- Jury Grand Prix (shared): On Summer Sand (Japan) and Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts (China)
- Best Director: Cao Baoping for One Wacky Summer (China), his second Best Director win at SIFF
- Best Actor: Jose Martins for The Scent of Things Remembered (Portugal/Brazil)
- Best Actress: Wan Qian for Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts (China)
- Asian New Talent Best Film: As the Water Flows (China) by Bian Zhuo
- Asian New Talent Best Director: Liryc Dela Cruz for Where the Night Stands Still (Italy/Philippines)
2024 (26th edition):
- Best Feature Film: The Divorce (Kazakhstan), directed by Daniyar Salamat
- Jury Grand Prix: Adult (Argentina) by Mariano Gonzalez
- Best Director: Bakur Bakuradze for Snowflakes in My Yard (Georgia/Russia)
- Best Actor: Huang Xiaoming in Don't Worry, Be Happy (China)
- Best Actress: Amira Omarova in The Divorce (Kazakhstan)
- Best Animation Film: The Colors Within (Japan) by Naoko Yamada
- Best Live Action Short Film: The Event Horizon (Israel) by Shira Geffen
2023 (25th edition):
- Best Feature Film: Yoko (Japan), directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri. The film also won Best Actress (Rinko Kikuchi, Oscar-nominated for Babel) and Best Screenplay. It was later streamed worldwide on SAKKA outside Asia.
- Best Documentary: Ms. Hu's Garden (China) by Pan Zhiqi
Notable Alumni
- Ning Hao - emerged from the Asian New Talent section with Mongolian Ping Pong. He became one of China's most commercially successful directors. His Crazy Stone (2006) grossed over $1 million on a $500,000 budget, and Breakup Buddies (2014) grossed over $180 million in China.
- Makoto Shinkai - appeared in the Asian New Talent section with The Place Promised in Our Early Days. He later directed Your Name (2016), which grossed $380 million worldwide, and Suzume (2022), which grossed $320 million globally.
- Cao Baoping - won Best Director at SIFF twice: in 2015 for The Dead End and in 2025 for One Wacky Summer. The Dead End was China's submission for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
- Anthony Chen - served as Asian New Talent jury president at the 27th SIFF. His debut Ilo Ilo (2013) won the Camera d'Or at Cannes and over 40 awards worldwide.
Submission Tips
- The Main Competition prefers world or international premieres. Films that have already screened widely at other festivals face a disadvantage in selection.
- The Asian New Talent section is the most accessible competition category for emerging filmmakers. It is restricted to first or second-time Asian directors and has launched major careers including Ning Hao and Makoto Shinkai.
- All submissions are evaluated within Chinese regulatory guidelines. Films dealing with politically sensitive topics or explicit content may face evaluation challenges.
- Non-Chinese language films must have English subtitles. The SIFF Project Market accepts approximately 30 to 40 projects in development each year, requiring a complete project pitch.
- Submit through the official website (www.siff.com), not FilmFreeway. All transport costs for screener delivery, including customs fees and insurance, are the responsibility of the submitter.
Industry Reputation
SIFF is the only FIAPF A-list competitive festival in mainland China. Its primary value is as a gateway to Chinese theatrical distribution. A Golden Goblet selection or award gives a film immediate visibility with Chinese distributors and audiences, a market that is largely closed to foreign films without festival exposure or government-approved release quotas.
The SIFF Project Market is one of the most active co-production platforms in East Asia. It is not a major sales market in the way the Cannes Marche du Film or Berlin EFM are. Acquisitions activity at SIFF is moderate, focused primarily on Chinese-language films and co-productions.
The festival is not Oscar-qualifying. The Asian New Talent section has been more effective at launching directorial careers than the Main Competition, with alumni including Ning Hao and Makoto Shinkai. For filmmakers seeking Chinese distribution or co-production financing, SIFF is the most directly useful festival in mainland China.
Watch
See Also
To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. For Chinese cinema markets and co-production, see International Film Markets. For the Beijing International Film Festival, see Beijing International Film Festival. For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy.
