From October 17 to 23, the 2026 Yangtze River Delta
International Youth Film Festival, guided by the China Film Administration
and co-hosted by China Media Group and the People's Government of
Zhejiang Province, is being held in Ningbo, China.

As China's first officially established film festival dedicated to young
filmmakers, the festival features a "2+5 "framework: two major events—the
opening and closing ceremonies—and five major sections: the Youth Film
Project Market, the China Film New Force Forum, Film Panorama, Theme
Event and the "Movie" Series Events. With two main threads—professional
activities and public-benefit initiatives—running throughout, it aims to create
a major film event combining professional excellence, commercial value and
an international vision, ignite young filmmakers; creative vitality, promote
coordinated development of the Yangtze River Delta's film industry, and
advance diverse cinematic expression and international outreach.
The ninth China Film New Force Forum will feature keynote speeches on
topics including "Film Stories and the China Image", "Cinematic Perspectives
in the AI Era", "The New Map of the Film Economy" and "Film and a
Changed Audience" as well as roundtable discussions aimed at forging
industry consensus.

2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations
between China and Africa. A core thematic event of the festival, the China-

Africa Youth Filmmakers Roundtable will provide a platform for dialogue,
bringing together more than 100 young filmmakers, scholars and
representatives of film and television institutions from China and African
countries in Ningbo. The event aims to facilitate connections between China's
film and television industry and the African film market.

The festival has launched its flagship 'Youth Film Project Market'; a one-stop
project-incubation platform for young film talent worldwide, to help more
young filmmakers light up the Chinese screen.

During the festival, forty Chinese and international films will be screened in
187 showings at 20 cinemas in 10 cities across the Yangtze River Delta. The
festival is also creating 'Film' experiences that bring together technology,
cultural tourism and consumer activities.

Looking back at the history of Chinese cinema, Ningbo—the "cradle of
Chinese film"—has been a constant presence. Generations of Ningbo-born
filmmakers have created nearly 50 "firsts" in Chinese film history. In the early
days of Chinese cinema, Zhang Shichuan (1891-1953) directed China's first
narrative short film Die for Marriage (Nan Fu Nan Qi) and its first sound film
Sing-Song Girl Red Peony (Ge Nü Hong Mu Dan), and founded the country's
first film school—Mingxing Film and Drama School. Song of the Fishermen
(Yu Guang Qu) was filmed on location in Shipu, Xiangshan County, Ningbo,
and won China';s first international film award. Yuan Muzhi (1909-1978)
starred in Children of Troubled Times (Feng Yun Er Nü), in which "March of
the Volunteers"; was heard on screen for the first time. After the founding of
the People's Republic of China, Sang Hu (1916-2004) directed New China's
first color stage-opera film, Liang San-po A Cu Jing-tchaj (Butterfly Lovers),
and its first color feature film, New Year Sacrifice (Zhu Fu). Ningbo
filmmaker Xu Jingda (1934-1987) and others directed China's first large-scale,
color, widescreen animated feature, Nezha Conquers the Dragon King (Ne
Zha Nao Hai), and Hsin-Yen Chang (1934- ) directed China's first martial arts
film to gross 100 million yuan, The Shaolin Temple (Shao Lin Si).

Today, Ningbo is home to more than 5,000 film and television enterprises and
has built an industrialized, standardized and technology-driven film industry
system, creating a landscape where "the whole city is a set, and creation is
possible in every season."