The 2025 International Short Drama Signing and Release Ceremony is held at Hengdian World Studios. [Photo/Tide News]
The 2025 International Short Drama Signing and Release Ceremony took place at Hengdian World Studios in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, on Feb 14.
Co-organized by the Film Professional Committee of the Zhejiang Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and the Hengdian International Short Drama Alliance, the event marked a significant step toward global collaboration for short dramas.
The Hengdian International Short Drama Alliance unveiled its plan for 2025 to connect 10 countries and regions, establish the brands of 100 cities, and create a global talent pool of 1,000 individuals.
The White Paper on 2024 Short Drama Overseas Marketing released by TikTok for Business revealed that overseas markets have seen a surge in short drama app downloads in the past two years, with an estimated 200 to 300 million overseas users in the future.
Despite the industry's maturity in China, venturing into international markets requires a nuanced approach focusing on cultural adaptation and localization, said Liu Jinlong, CEO of ShortMax, a leading short drama platform. It has been at the forefront of this effort, expanding into over 240 countries since 2022.
The establishment of the Hengdian International Short Drama Alliance in October 2024 has been instrumental in fostering collaboration among film production companies, broadcasting platforms, investors, and educational institutions to help short drama teams explore the global market.
At present, the alliance has attracted over 100 bilingual talents from renowned universities like the New York Film Academy and Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
During the event, the Hengdian International Short Drama Alliance also released the lineup for the 2025 international cultural tourism short drama collaboration, featuring over 20 works spanning various genres such as thrillers, romance, science fiction, and comedy.
