The continuing blurring of the lines between film festivals and technology showcases has been seen in Shanghai over the past week, with panels, screenings and various displays in real time on where the film industry stands and where it could be headed.
The scene was filmed during an opening press conference for the Golden Goblet Awards main jury at the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), when actress Chen Zhili was asked how she prepared for the role, and laughed as she consulted Chinese AI app Doubao to get all the advice she needed. It was a line that brought down the house, capturing how quickly technology has risen and how ubiquitous it has become in these parts.
China estimates the value of its core AI industry at $174 billion, with films – and the broader umbrella term “content” – benefiting greatly from this thanks to the increasing use of AI in short-form dramas and animation.
There were a few SIFF initiatives this year that took innovative and insightful approaches to the emergence of artificial intelligence and its impact on cinema. Chief among them was the AI Backlot program – in partnership with Hailuo AI (MiniMax) – which paired a traditional filmmaker with another from the AI side of the industry and tasked them with producing an AI-powered short film over the course of over a month, recording the entire experience.
Instead of turning them away to do their work, the Film Festival has transformed a spacious screening room at the Shanghai Film Arts Center into an “open” live studio where – gaming-style – filmmakers can be watched on their consoles as they work, while huge screens also broadcast their work as it is developed.
Chinese director Hu Zuochen (Italian recipe) with German Artificial Intelligence director Mark Wachholz, and the two produced the short film based on artificial intelligence Message to the butterfly – A subtle philosophical musing on memory that Wachholz described as a “documentary of ideas,” noting that artificial intelligence is “very good at representing or visualizing abstract ideas.”
“Our whole process is very relaxed,” explained Hu, who admitted that he was initially curious about AI in terms of creativity and pure economics. “We were on the same page right away. I told him I was a traditional filmmaker but I was hoping that one day AI would help me create a scene or a little teaser that could let others know what my thoughts were and what my vision was. This work allowed me to make a full-length film, and it was an exciting and eye-opening experience, as if I had entered a whole new world.”
SIFF ING’s Mobile Filmmaking Camp is now a bit more traditional, in terms of filmmaking, but it’s still charting a no less creative path.
Out of the need to explore “new technologies, new points of view, new youth” – and as a very cool way to showcase the progress of iPhone filmmaking – the camp of 10 young talents were mentored by cinematographer Gao Weizhi (Black dog), actor Zhou Chuxiao (Wandering Earth) and director Nick Cheuk (Time keeps turning pages), who also found time to make their own shorts.
Young filmmakers were handed an iPhone, funding, and mentoring from these mentors — and dabbled in everything from science fiction (Stray Chen’s Until death) to pure romanticism (Harry Kay Things).
The impact of the iPhone’s increasing prevalence in filmmaking circles was recently foregrounded in a film by Taiwanese director Shih Ching-tzu. Left-handed girl (2025), where it was used to great effect, particularly to capture scenes filmed in and around a bustling Taipei night market. Special came My mother is trapped He demonstrated its use in more intimate settings, with his fascinating, emotionally charged look at the domestic relationship between an elderly woman and her daughter.
“I wanted to use this technology to make something that felt very personal because that’s what these phones are — personal,” Gao said.
And let’s not forget developments in virtual reality (VR) – which has almost reached a near-forgotten status, with all the focus these days on artificial intelligence. But the Chinese government is eyeing a market potential worth $48 billion, according to estimates this year alone.
On the sidelines here in Shanghai, there was an immersive section at SIFF that explored VR developments and offered attendees the option of Jason Chang’s live concert performance, filmed and adapted for VR, and a more immersive experience with a film screening Fake crime caseswhich – with headphones secured – gave viewers the opportunity to participate and even assist in the investigation of some of the most intriguing murder cases in history, including those of Lizzie Borden and Hollywood’s infamous Wonderland murders.
“VR films are moving from a novel experience to a more expanded production and distribution system, which is of great benefit to the industry,” explained Peng Qijun of virtual reality company Shengshi Wanhua Culture Technology, who was present to present in Shanghai. “These films allow each viewer to experience their own screen, creating a personalized space that offers audiences a new experience to step into the film and explore the viewing process.”
