Last month, Hengdian World Studios and Shanghai-based Spanish film company Dalynn Studio co-hosted the International Short Drama & Cross-Cultural Film Cooperation Exchange in Hengdian. The event brought together filmmakers, producers and other industry professionals from around the world to connect over the recent popularity of the short drama industry. 

Dalynn Studio, located in Shanghai, focuses on adapting Chinese short dramas for the Latin American market. According to its co-founders Mary Lynn, "the future belongs to short videos, and the micro‐drama market holds tremendous opportunities.”

Lynn also noted that many people around the world, even professionals, do not yet know about Hengdian. “This event aims to introduce everyone to Hengdian and China," she said at the event, "to uncover more opportunities for collaboration and to bring high‐quality Chinese film and television works to global audiences.” Among others present at the event were also industry insiders from Spain, Uruguay, the United States, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, South Africa, Serbia, and Belarus.

During the exchange, Dalynn Studio and Hengdian World Studios signed an agreement to further deepen their collaboration. The partnership will allow Dalynn access to Hengdian's film sets and resources, while Dalynn will help to distribute content to Spanish-speaking audiences. A “Latin Film Night” has also been proposed for this year’s Hengdian Film Festival, held in October. 

For Hengdian, this is part of a strategy to further strengthen the filmmaking industrial chain, by improving expertise in areas from talent recruitment to content distribution. Going forward, Hengdian aims to continually globalize its short drama industry to better reach and connect with overseas audiences. Last November, the Hengdian International Short Drama Alliance (HISDA) was established to scale up the production of short drama production for international viewers. 

Simultaneously, Hengdian World Studios is also building a greater number of authentic international film sets and aims to involve more foreign actors, said Caroline Guo, General Manager of Hengdian World Studios’ International Business Department. Hengdian hopes this will make it a more attractive destination for high-quality content for global audiences.

Visitors at the event toured Hengdian's virtual production facilities to learn more about available resources. Shanghai-based Venezuelan 3D director Carlos Tinto, who has worked on commercials for L’Oréal, Standard Chartered, Free Fire, and Disney, noted, "with its mature ecosystem and favorable costs, Hengdian is ideal for large‐scale international productions."

During the event, industry professionals also had a chance to discuss production models, creative development, co-production structures, and culturally-driven storytelling. American actress Sarie J Bott discovered that a long‐time online acquaintance was already part of HISDA. “Film is a powerful medium for cross‐cultural dialogue,” she said, while visiting Hengdian for the first time. "Stepping onto these stages means truly becoming part of China’s film ecosystem.”

At the event's close, Dalynn Studio’s Mary Lynn concluded, “we’re proud of our first project together. This is just the beginning—we will harvest abundant results and co-production projects very soon.” Going forward, Hengdian will also continue to serve as a hub where creators from diverse cultures can meet, learn about one another, and create new stories together.

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