According to Chinese media, the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival opened June 12 and runs through the 21st. This year's edition pairs screenings of works chosen through a global call for entries with a special program on the fusion of artificial intelligence and screen production.

In particular, the 'AI Set' (AI 片場) section opened to the general public on June 14-15 on the fourth floor of the main venue, Shanghai Film Art Center. As a space to experience and debate how AI is reshaping the production set, it shows a trend in which technology moves beyond a creative tool to shake the structure of the industry itself.

The opening also tracks a recovery in China's film industry. Reports say China's 2026 annual box office had already topped 16 billion yuan in the first half and at one point rose to the world's top market, though daily takings rise and fall by period, leaving structural improvement as a noted task.

We report trends in the Chinese-speaking screen industry factually. As one of Asia's major film events, the Shanghai festival is also significant as a meeting ground for Chinese filmmakers and the global industry.