Festival offers a cinematic paradise for movie buffs

China's film market is expected to embrace a new chapter next month with the opening of the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival and the start of the golden summer slot, a crucial season for movie buffs.

The eye-catching Film Panorama of the film fest, which runs from June 13 to 22, will present international premieres and screenings of both award-winning classics and new productions from all over the world.

The screening schedule will be released on June 3, with ticket sales starting at 12pm on June 5 on the Damai and Taopiaopiao platforms. Checking the schedule early is advisable as tickets for popular screenings usually sell out very quickly.

Among the movies on offer are Mike Leigh's latest "Hard Truths," Marcel Barrena's "The 47," the IMAX version of the Michael Jackson documentary "This is It," and Mikio Naruse's romance "Floating Clouds."

Italian filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore, who will chair the Jury for the Golden Goblet Awards' main competition, will bring his "Cinema Paradiso" and "The Maestro" to be shown during the Film Panorama's Italian Film Week.

The May 30 arrival of Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" in cinemas on the Chinese mainland will give a new impetus to the film market in terms of the franchise's huge fan base in China.

China's box office revenue this year has already surpassed 26.8 billion yuan (US$3.73 billion). The three months from June through August have a major influence on the year's overall box office performance.

The following are some highly anticipated movies due to hit China's screens soon.

"Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning"

Release date: May 30

Starring Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell, the action-packed blockbuster by Christopher McQuarrie is the 8th installment of the "Mission: Impossible" franchise.

In this final chapter of the series, IMF agent Ethan Hunt and his team try and stop a man before he can obtain an AI program that can weaken the world's stability. Impressive stunts and fights are a feature of the movie.

"Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Art World Tales"

Release date: May 31

The Japanese animated feature film is the 45th anniversary commemorative work of the "Doraemon" movie franchise.

In the film, Nobita, Doraemon and their friends enter the world depicted in a famous painting and meet a girl. At her request, they go to a medieval European country where a gemstone contains mysterious power. To uncover the mystery of the gemstone, they embark on an adventure filled with crisis and challenges.

"Behind the Shadows"

Release date: May 31

The suspense thriller starring Louis Koo tells the story of a private detective who, during a tracking operation, gets involved in a shocking and bloody case involving the brutal murder of a young woman.

However, this is just the beginning. Bizarre car accidents follow, innocent women are forced to commit suicide, and brides are murdered before their weddings.

"Karate Kid: Legends"

Release date: June 7

Action star Jackie Chan, at 71, displays fabulous Chinese martial arts in the film by Jonathan Entwistle.

When kung fu prodigy Li Feng arrives in New York he faces new challenges. He decides to step into the competition arena. Under the guidance of traditional martial arts master Han, he attempts to find his own path.

"How to Train Your Dragon"

Release date: June 13

The live-action retelling of the original animated film is the first of DreamWorks Animation's films to gets a live action adaptation.

Helmed by Dean DeBlois, the film centers on the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon. They break down the barriers between the two species and forge a new future together.

"Moonlight Express"

Release date: June 14

The classic romance starring Leslie Cheung and Tokiwa Takako will have a re-release in a 4K restored version.

A young woman suffers from unbearable pain after her fiance dies in a car accident. She lives in the shadow of sadness all day long until she meets a young cop in Hong Kong who looks similar to her fiance. Both have deep pain in their hearts, and the encounter ignites a brilliant flame of love.

"Life Party"

Release date: June 28

Directed by Song Xiaofei, the comedy fantasy stars Xiao Yang and Gulnazar. It follows a 46-year-old man who successfully travels back to the age of 20 in a time machine.

He starts to persuade his young self to sign a "life agreement." All dissatisfaction with his life is corrected with many achievements. The film explores the question of "Would life be better if we started over?" in a humorous way. In addition to hilarious scenes, it also has profound reflections on real life.

Where and how to buy tickets:

Online movie tickets can be purchased on Taopiaopiao and Maoyan. Movie buffs can also buy tickets at the cinemas.

How to buy tickets using Alipay

Purchasing discounted movie tickets through Alipay is quick and easy. Just follow these steps:

1. Open Alipay and go to Me > Settings > General > Translation Tool.

Select your target language. Currently, Alipay supports 15 languages, including Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.

2. On the home screen, use the search bar to type "Cinema."

Browse and select the movie ticketing mini-program you prefer, then proceed to purchase tickets online.

If the page is in Chinese, tap the floating Translation button to convert it to your selected language.

And that's it! Buying movie tickets has never been so simple.