The 28th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF), which closed Sunday, drew nearly half a million moviegoers and gave a strong boost to tourism and consumption in the city.
Running from June 12 to 21, the festival staged more than 420 screenings and attracted close to 500,000 attendees, with about three in ten traveling from outside Shanghai specifically for the event. A record 250,000 tickets were snapped up within the first 15 minutes of public sales.
"I'm from Hong Kong, but I made a special trip back for the festival. I got my ticket in just three seconds. This year, I'll be watching nearly 32 films in total," said a movie fan.
"I'm from Paris. Shanghai is one of the most important film festivals in the entire world, so it's the place that you have to be here and not miss the festival," said another movie fan.
Beyond the screenings, the film festival created a vibrant cultural buzz. In Xuhui District, movie ticket stubs were exchanged for creative souvenirs such as filmstrip bookmarks, signed posters, or themed coffee, adding a unique interactive experience for festival‑goers.
"Normally I just keep my ticket stub for the memories. But during the festival, I discovered I could use it to get discounts at some small shops nearby — I really didn't expect that," said a movie fan from east China's Jiangxi Province.
From museum exhibits to river cruises, the film festival turned ticket stubs into city-wide cultural passes, boosting tourism and spending across the city.
"Our average daily orders on weekends are 60 to 70 percent higher than on weekdays, and we're looking forward to this weekend's sales," said a stall owner.
The previous Shanghai International Film Festival generated nearly 5 billion yuan (about 738.6 million U.S. dollars) in economic benefits. Out-of-town visitors stayed an average of six days, pumping more than 1.77 billion yuan (about 261.5 million U.S. dollars) directly into the city's tourism sector.
Shanghai film festival fuels tourism surge, driving citywide consumption
