BEIJING, June 9 -- The 15th Shanghai Television Festival opened Monday night at the Shanghai Grand Theater with a gusto signaling a bright future for the local movie and television industry.

    Amid the ongoing financial crisis, the bourgeoning Chinese movie and TV market is turning out to be a huge draw for overseas companies and exhibitors. A total of 130 TV stations, filming and publishing companies have registered for the event, including US-based Disney Company, Warner Bros and NHK from Japan.

A scene from My Chief and My Regiment.(Photo Source: Global Times) Photo Gallery>>>

    The five-day festival, filled with top domestic and international documentaries and TV serials, will feature a serial of events such as the Magnolia Awards, DocuChina selection and seminars.

    The Magnolia Awards consists of 24 awards ranging from TV films, documentaries, and animation to TV serials, and more than 50 entries from world over will compete for the awards.

    The 15-member jury includes senior producers, directors, actors and critics, with Chinese director Zheng Xiaolong leading the jury panel.

    TV series such as Lurk and My Chief and My Regiment have received the most nominations.

    Also at the festival, the Magnolia Forum, which takes a global perspective on the television industry, will feature topics on new media, trends in TV production and animation industry.

    The New Media and International Broadcasting Equipment Market will also be held from June 9 to 11 at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, with many cutting-edge equipments and sophisticated TV terminal units on display.

    Over the past few years, this event has been expanding in scale and has turned into a market platform for cross-industry technological exchanges and development.

    The International Broadcasting Technology Conference (IBTC), an important academic event of the 15th Shanghai TV Festival, will also be held during the exhibition.

    “We are hoping to bring more youth back to television with the help of many new media forms,” says Teng Junjie, an official with the organizing committee of the festival.

    The opening day of the Shanghai TV Festival was marked by an impressive performance from Chinese pop singers Sun Nan and Mao A’min.