Chongqing - Chongqing will host the 21st Huabiao Film Awards ceremony in the first half of 2027, according to the China Film Administration. It will be the third city to host the event, following Beijing and Qingdao, and the first in central or western China.

Organized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the China Film Administration, the Huabiao Awards are China's highest government honors for film. Over the past several years, Chongqing has expanded its film industry by building new production facilities, developing virtual filming technology, and hosting international events such as the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival. The city is seeking to move beyond serving as a filming location and play a larger role in film production.

A live demonstration of motion capture technology during filming at the Yongchuan Sci-Tech Film Studio in Chongqing. (Photo/Wang Quanchao/Xinhua)

Beyond film locations: Chongqing builds its own production capabilities

Films such as Better Days and I Belonged to You have made use of Chongqing's distinctive urban landscape. Under plans released in 2026, the city is developing film production facilities, digital content businesses and supporting services, with major projects planned in Yongchuan District and Liangjiang New Area.

The first phase of the Yongchuan Sci-Tech Film Studio opened in May 2023, and the second phase is expected to be completed soon. Its LED screens and real-time rendering technology allow filmmakers to shoot scenes against digital backgrounds that respond to camera movements, reducing the need for some location shoots.

An aerial view of the Yongchuan Sci-Tech Film Studio in Chongqing. The facility is part of the city's effort to expand film production beyond location shooting. (Photo: Visual Chongqing)

The technology has already been used in films. More than 30 percent of the footage in Bi Gan's Resurrection was shot using LED virtual production at the Yongchuan studio. The film received a Special Prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Elsewhere in Chongqing, plans for new production facilities in Liangjiang New Area form part of the city's broader effort to expand filmmaking services.

Yongchuan is also building a library of digital production resources. By June 2026, the platform had collected more than 50,000 digital assets and over 1,000 ready-made scenes, according to the Chongqing municipal government. These resources can be reused across productions, saving crews from having to create every digital setting from scratch.

Film festival connections grow into international collaborations

In July 2025, Chongqing hosted the SCO Film Festival, bringing filmmakers and industry representatives from several countries to the city. The festival featured 20 films competing for awards and 48 films shown to audiences, along with industry forums, technology exhibitions, and a film market. Participants included representatives from Russia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and other SCO countries.

The closing and awards ceremony of the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Film Festival in Chongqing. The festival brought together filmmakers from participating countries for screenings, awards, and industry exchanges. (Photo: CQNEWS)

The festival also provided opportunities for business cooperation. Agreements were signed for 23 film industry projects and 19 film and television productions, with planned investment totaling more than 2.6 billion yuan (about 389 million U.S. dollars). Covering digital production, AI applications, and filmmaking services, the projects align with Chongqing's efforts to develop more of the film production process locally. During the festival, the city also introduced new policies to support film production and related businesses.

One international collaboration has continued beyond the festival. Our Day, a film that brings together short stories about everyday life in different countries, premiered at the Chongqing International Animation Film Week in June 2026. The project began filming in Kyrgyzstan in August, with production partners from China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It offers an example of how connections formed through film events can develop into joint productions.

Animation projects weave Chongqing into their stories

The 2026 Chongqing International Animation Film Week, held in June, also showed how the city is exploring new ways to create animated content. Beyond screenings and industry discussions, the event brought together Chinese animation franchises and art schools to create stories inspired by Chongqing's landmarks, history, and local culture.

The 20th Huabiao Film Awards ceremony in Qingdao in April 2025. Chongqing will host the 21st edition in the first half of 2027. (Photo: Visual Chongqing)

Through a project called Shancheng Ruhua, roughly meaning "The Mountain City in a Painting," popular Chinese animated characters from franchises such as Boonie Bears and Big Head Son and Small Head Dad explored Chongqing in their own visual styles. Their stories drew on Hongyadong's nighttime lights, the traditional buildings of Songgai Ancient Town, and dinosaur fossils discovered in Yongchuan.

Rather than treating Chongqing as a backdrop, the creators made the city part of their animated stories.

The film week also saw agreements signed for 53 projects, with planned investment totaling 2.8 billion yuan (about 419 million U.S. dollars). The projects covered AI-assisted production, filmmaking, talent training, and other areas. Organizers also highlighted productions in development, including an AI short-drama adaptation of The Left Ear and a project involving The Adventures of Little Carp. Together, these activities reflect Chongqing's efforts to expand content production alongside its technical filmmaking services.

What Comes Next

Preparations are underway for the 2027 Huabiao Awards ceremony in Chongqing, along with related events and public film activities. Hosting the awards will give the city a chance to showcase the film industry it has built in recent years.

The bigger question is whether Chongqing can turn its growing production capacity and international partnerships into a steady flow of film projects that continue long after the ceremony ends. For a city long known for its striking film locations, that would mark a more lasting change in its role in China's film industry.