NINGBO, China, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- 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."
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2026 Yangtze River Delta International Youth Film Festival Unveiled in Ningbo
2026 Yangtze River Delta International Youth Film Festival Unveiled in Ningbo
The milestone update includes a +600% EXP fast-track server alongside rewards and comeback perks for returning players
SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- WEMADE, the leading global game developer behind the blockbuster Unreal Engine 5 MMORPG Legend of YMIR, has rolled out a first-anniversary update to commemorate a full year of global live service of its flagship title. This milestone delivers a comprehensive content roadmap spanning October through December, headlined by the debut of a new Assassin class, the launch of the accelerated Boot Camp Season 2 progression server, and exclusive rewards.
Legend of YMIR combines high-fidelity visual worldbuilding with dark Norse mythology and large-scale Server Battles. Since its global debut, the game has kept its community engaged with steady content updates and events for players worldwide. The first-anniversary celebration now serves to expand and strengthen the established player base, as well as provide a frictionless entry point for new and returning adventurers looking to accelerate their progression.
The milestone update includes:
- New Assassin Class: Delivering an agile, high-impact combat style unlike any other class in the game, players can adopt the new playstyle with class change support, without losing hard-earned character progress.
- Boot Camp Season 2: A dedicated growth server engineered to expedite character development for new and returning users, it features a +600% EXP boost up to Level 65, specialized hunting buffs, and leveling support items — dramatically lowering barriers to entry and enabling players to swiftly catch up with veteran players.
- Player Rewards: The pre-registration campaign surpassed 100,000 participants, unlocking the 1st Anniversary Legendary Companion for all active players. Pre-registrants will receive exclusive bonus rewards, and players who complete in-game missions during the anniversary event can also earn a Legendary-grade Disir and Valkyrie.
- Community Events: Players who join community events on official social channels will stand a chance to win additional prizes by sharing anniversary messages and posting in-game screenshots.
- Einherjar Fellowship Event: A referral initiative encouraging active players to invite new and returning players to the game. Invited players can earn rewards by accepting an invitation and completing designated missions, while inviters receive tiered rewards based on the number of completed "fellowships". Rewards include Epic- and Legendary-grade items, with top-ranking inviters also having the opportunity to earn coveted Mythical-grade rewards.
- Check-in Event and Mythical Companion Update: Mythical-grade Disirs and Valkyries will debut in December, alongside an exclusive 14-day check-in event for Boot Camp participants. Players who join the Boot Camp server after the first-anniversary event can still participate in this check-in event and earn a Legendary-grade Valkyrie on Day 7 and a Legendary-grade Disir on Day 14.
Michael Kim, Head of Business Division, WEMADE, said: "This first anniversary is a tribute to the passion and dedication of our global community. We have intentionally curated an extensive content roadmap designed to reward loyal veterans while providing a streamlined onboarding pathway for newcomers and returning players. With sustained updates leading into December and an upcoming YMIR Cup Season 3, we look forward to delivering even deeper immersion within the Legend of YMIR universe in the year ahead."
For full details on the Legend of YMIR first anniversary update and events, please visit the official website as well as the official Discord, YouTube, and Facebook community channels for real-time updates and interaction.
-ENDS-
About WEMADE
WEMADE is the only company combining over two decades of AAA game development success with a fully operational, game-proven blockchain ecosystem—built entirely on its proprietary Layer-1 mainnet, WEMIX3.0. Known for global hits such as The Legend of Mir, MIR4, NIGHT CROWS and Legend of YMIR, WEMADE is leading the industry in seamlessly integrating gameplay, tokenomics, NFTs, stablecoin payments, and blockchain infrastructure. Through WEMIX PLAY, WEMADE delivers a unified digital economy where players, creators, and investors can own, trade, and benefit from digital assets—powering the next generation of interactive entertainment and driving the evolution of Web3 gaming. For more information, please visit https://wemade.com/.
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WEMADE Celebrates Legend of YMIR's First Anniversary with Major Content Roadmap and New Assassin Class
