Shanghai Television Festival’s Magnolia Awards Dominated by China’s ‘A Lifelong Journey,’ ‘Bright Future’

The 28th edition of the Shanghai TV Festival wrapped up on Friday with its Magnolia Awards presented to a range of TV drama series, documentaries and animation programs. The drama awards were dominated by two shows A Lifelong Journey and Bright Future.

A Lifelong Journey, adapted from a novel of the same name by Liang Xiaosheng, tells the story of three generations of one family in Chinas Northeast as time moves from the late Cultural Revolution period through to the countrys reform and opening up. With a starry cast and broadcasters including CCTV-1 and Jiangsu Satellite TV, the show is reported to have attracted 310 million viewers at the beginning of 2022. In mainland China, it ran for 58 episodes, while in Hong Kong it played in 35 parts.

Bright Future is a 24-part CCTV-1 political drama which tells the story of a local official who united his county.

Chinese sci-fi also shone at the awards. A video-game designer and his girlfriend (prizewinner Liu Dan) try to solve the mystery of a bus bombing in Reset. Three Body, the Tencent-backed Chinese adaptation of The Three Body Problem novel, won a Magnolia award for best art direction. (Overseas, Netflix is preparing its own adaptation based on the same source material.)

Magnolia Awards for overseas productions went to HBOs Jessica Chastain-starring mini-series Scenes from a Marriage and to Werner Herzogs documentary about vulcanologists The Fire Within: Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft.

Away from the awards race, the STVF saw the hybrid return of the STVF Market. Held at the downtown Shanghai Exhibition Center in person and combined with the International Film TV Online Market that was introduced in 2020, it brought together nearly 150 exhibitors, of which about 40% were overseas players.

And, while most of the STVF is firmly aimed at industry professionals, the International Television Showcase, represented a public screening outreach program. Comprising some 35 offline screenings, some with expert introductions and others with cast meet and greet sessions, the sessions took place at 18 venues around the mega-city. Organizers report that they were fully sold out the moment that the online booking channel was opened.

2023 Shanghai Television Festival Awards TV Drama

Best TV Series (China)

A Lifelong Journey

Bright Future

Best Director

Li Lu for A Lifelong Journey

Best Original Screenplay

Wang Xiaoqiang for Bright Future

Best Adapted Screenplay

Wang Hailing, Wang Daou for A Lifelong Journey

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Lei Jiayin in A Lifelong Journey

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Wu Yue in Bright Future

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Ding Yongdai in A Lifelong Journey

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Liu Dan in Reset

Best Cinematography

Yu Xiaochen

Best Art Direction

Liu Yongqi for Three-Body

TV Drama

Best Foreign TV Film/Miniseries

Scenes from a Marriage (U.S.)

Best Foreign TV Series/Serial

1985 (Belgium)

Best Documentary Series

A Long Cherished Dream (China-U.K.)

Best Documentary

The Fire Within: Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft

(France-Colombia-Mexico-U.S.-U.K.-Switzerland)

Best Animation

Moominvalley Season 3 (Finland-U.K.)

Best Storytelling

Yao-Chinese Folktales (China)

Best Variety Program

Homes in Beautiful China

Chinese Festivals Series

The 28th Shanghai TV Festival International Communication Award (Animation)

Growing up with Tiantian

The 28th Shanghai TV Festival International Communication Award (Documentary)

Once Upon a Bite

The 28th Shanghai TV Festival International Communication Award (TV Drama)

Minning Town

Shanghai TV Festival Special Award

Charting the Decade

Grand Prix

Medal of the Republic

Decisive Victory

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