Stepping into cinemas to share the excitement with fellow supporters and experience the matches with movie-level sound and visuals have become a new trend in watching the ongoing FIFA World Cup in China.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off on Thursday at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium. This edition, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, features 48 teams and 104 matches for the first time ever.
In Shanghai, one cinema is offering fans an immersive viewing experience with a giant screen, surround sound and spacious seating.
"Today was my first time watching a match at a domestic theater, and it's nothing like watching at home. The screen is small at home, and you don't have companions right beside you to share the excitement. I really enjoy the big screen and the atmosphere of watching with more people together," said Zhu Guanghu, former head coach of the Chinese men's team.
Meanwhile, Beijing cinemas have also drawn crowds. Fans cheered for their favorite teams at a popularity board before kickoff, while inside, a massive 4K screen with 120-frame playback made them feel as if they were in the stadium.
"Having the chance to watch matches together offline on weekends is a special experience. At the moment the goal was scored, everyone cheered together. It's a good way to relieve stress," said a fan surnamed Zhao. As of present, China Film Group and Huaxia Film have provided live-broadcast technology and operational support to more than 1,200 cinemas nationwide, covering over 150 cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
These cinemas will screen more than 60 matches during the tournament, bringing the World Cup atmosphere to audiences across the country.
The global football showcase is scheduled to run from June 11 to July 19.
Fans flock to cinemas across China for World Cup screenings
By leveraging the Shanghai Science and Technology Film City, Shanghai is forging a full-chain AI film ecosystem that covers computing power, data, models, and application scenarios, thus driving the integrated development of "film plus technology."
At a workshop during this year's Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), staff showed how a green screen and virtual studio can create a video of someone flying on a sword in only 10 minutes, a process that once took hours or even days.
"Our new AI workflow can bypass the tedious process of creating 3D assets. We only need a simple white model to position the actor within the scene. Then, AI takes care of everything, including integration of lights and shadows, computer-generated visual effects, and traditional manual production, dramatically improving efficiency," said Wang Yi, marketing director of a Shanghai-based virtual production technology company.
Technological innovation, continuous upgrades, and the pursuit of quality have become industry standards for filmmakers and television producers.
"What we're working on now is using a full AI workflow to adapt a classic black-and-white movie into a short drama series of 60 episodes, each about two to three minutes long. With the rapid improvement of large language model capabilities, on the production side, we can complete a short drama project of over 100 minutes in just about two months," said Yu Xin, a person in charge of a company based at the Shanghai Science and Technology Film City AI Creation Ecosystem Center.
Located in Songjiang District, the Shanghai Science and Technology Film City houses over 8,000 film and TV enterprises, forming a full-chain AI ecosystem that covers computing power, data, models, and application scenarios.
"The AI Creation Ecosystem Center has attracted more than 50 companies over the past year and secured over 50 million yuan in commercial commissions. Moving forward, we will provide support not only in terms of computing power and funding but also through talent-related policies," said Zhao Huiying, director of the Songjiang District Culture and Tourism Bureau.
Shanghai drives 'film plus technology' with AI ecosystem
