SIFF YOUNG, the filmmaker discovery-and-incubation program backed by the Shanghai Film Bureau, has unveiled its class of 2026 – nine talents selected from 59 applicants spanning directing, producing and screenwriting.
The five directors named are Bai Xue, Su Biao, Teng Congcong, Wang Tong and Xu Lei. The three producers are Hu Jing, Titi and Xie Haochi, with screenwriter Zhou Yunhai rounding out the cohort. Their projects, spread across post-production, production and development, span multiple genres and scales.
The announcement ceremony was held on the sidelines of the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival. Fang Shizhong, executive vice minister of the Publicity Department of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of CPC and director general of the Shanghai Film Bureau, presented certificates to the honorees.
Nominations came from 13 industry recommenders and 17 companies, including iQIYI and CMC Pictures, as well as from established filmmakers Jia Zhangke and Jojo Hui. The final-round jury was chaired by director Wen Muye – himself a SIFF YOUNG alumnus from 2023 – and included director-screenwriter Dong Runnian, producer Liang Lin, Light Chaser Animation Studio president Yu Zhou and screenwriter You Xiaoying, who was also among the first batch of screenwriters honored under the program.
“The young creators we have selected boast outstanding talent and diverse styles,” Wen said. “They combine solid professionalism with independent thinking. The group includes seasoned practitioners with rich industry experience as well as bold, innovative emerging voices, fully embodying the professionalism and diversity upheld in selection this year.”
Among the directors, Bai Xue is best known for “The Crossing,” which earned wide acclaim on the festival circuit. Her new project, “This Is My Name,” is currently in post-production. “After all these years of burying myself in creative work, I sometimes forget how old I am,” Bai said. “But this year, I still feel very young.”
Su Biao, a screenwriter-turned-director behind scripts including “Post Truth,” “One and Only” and “City of Rock,” made his directing debut with “Honey Money Phony” and has three titles in post. Teng Congcong, known for the film “Send Me to the Clouds” and drama “To the Wonder,” is currently developing “The Stake of Your Life.” Wang Tong, whose realist drama “Wild Nights, Tamed Beasts” won both the Jury Grand Prix and the Best Actress Award at last year’s SIFF Golden Goblet Awards, has “Yin Ni Zhe” in script development. Xu Lei, who has built a track record of low-budget commercial genre films with titles such as “Summer Detective” and “The Hutong Cowboy,” has “The Peacemaker” in pre-production and “Village Life” in development.
On the producing side, Hu Jing, whose credits include “The Cord of Life” and “Decoded,” has two projects currently in the pipeline, including “Sherlock of China” in post-production. Titi earned widespread attention after her film “The Sun Rises on Us All” competed at the Venice Film Festival last year, with lead actress Xin Zhilei taking the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. Her latest, “Make Zhonghe Great Again,” was showcased at this year’s SIFF Gala Night. Xie Haochi, who co-produced both “Make Zhonghe Great Again” and “This Is My Time,” also had his work featured at the Gala Night as part of the China Movie Blockbuster New Voices showcase.
Screenwriter Zhou Yunhai, whose credits include “Pegasus 3,” was cited by the jury for sophisticated storytelling instincts and a sharp read on commercial demands. “This selection is a recognition of my past work and also an inspiration for what lies ahead,” Zhou said.
Launched in 2021, SIFF YOUNG has now entered its fifth year and has backed 29 filmmakers across its five editions. Alumni include Derek Tsang (“Better Days,” “Soulmate”), Han Shuai (“She Has No Name”) and Shao Yihui (“Herstory,” “B for Busy”).
