250,000 Tickets Sold in 15 Minutes As Shanghai Film Fest Nears

Around 250,000 tickets for the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival were snapped up within 15 minutes of going on sale at noon on Friday, according to the festival's organizing committee.

The first ticket purchased was for the 4K restoration of "Rose." The fastest screening to sell out was "My Own Last Supper," scheduled for June 21 at Premiere Cinema in Jing'an Kerry Center.

Demand was heaviest in the "4K Restoration," "Festival Highlights" and "Asian Cinema" categories, with the 4K restoration of "Rose," the "Dune" double bill in 4K IMAX, and "Atlantic Rhapsody" among the quickest to go.

Running from June 12 to 21, the festival will screen more than 420 films across some 1,500 showings at 52 cinemas in Shanghai and five other Yangtze River Delta cities.

The Golden Goblet Awards main competition drew entries from 34 countries and regions, with 77 films making the final lineup. Of those, 41 are world premieres.

Most ticket buyers were returning attendees who had joined in previous years, while about 20 percent were first-time participants, ticketing data showed.

Film enthusiast Lu Xintong, who secured seats for Hou Hsiao-hsien's "Flowers of Shanghai" and "Goodbye South, Goodbye," said the festival offers more than just screenings.

"It has broadened my cinematic horizons and allowed me to experience the singular atmosphere that arises when true film lovers gather," she said.

Lu said she had particularly high expectations for "Rose," citing her admiration for Sandra Hüller's performance in "Anatomy of a Fall," but was unable to secure a ticket due to overwhelming demand.

"I'm also looking forward to watching excellent films that rarely make it to regular cinemas," she added, expressing hope that the festival will continue to help Chinese films reach global audiences and give outstanding works broader international distribution.