Today's Highlights：
1. The 2026 Multiverse Micro-Drama Project Launched, with Jimeng AI Providing Exclusive Technical Support
2. Gaozhou, Maoming Explores a New "Mini Series + Agriculture" Model to Boost Rural Incomes
3. Anhui Online Literature Creation Tour Launches at National Museum of China, Featuring AIGC Mini Series Gui Chu Ji (Return to Chu) Trailer
4. Filming Commences for Period Premium Short Drama Chong Sheng 80: Ba Qi Lao Ma Hu Jia Ren at Hengdian
5. Multiple Short Dramas Launch Production in Nansha, Transforming Its Landscapes into Popular Filming Locations
The 2026 Multiverse Micro-Drama Project Launched, with Jimeng AI Providing Exclusive Technical Support
Recently, Jimeng AI, as the exclusive AI technology partner, joined hands with the Shanghai International Film Festival, the Shanghai TV Festival International Film & TV Market, and Fanqie Novel to officially launch the first 2026 Multiverse Micro-Drama Project. Based on this program, Fanqie Novel will open a selected library of high-quality online fiction IPs. These IPs have been validated and proven by both the market and tens of millions of readers, providing creators with reliable and popular story sources. The program will also set up a creation support fund worth tens of millions of yuan, focusing on supporting the production of 10 selected mini series projects. The completed works will be released simultaneously on Douyin, Hongguo Short Drama, and Fanqie Novel, reaching hundreds of millions of users directly. They will also receive prominent platform promotion resources, aiming to generate strong visibility upon release.
Representatives of selected projects will be invited to attend related events at the Shanghai International Film Festival and the Shanghai TV Festival International Film & TV Market in June 2026. Their works may be showcased offline, giving creators direct access to production companies, investors, and media from across China and around the world. Notably, the project includes a top-tier development pathway: S+ level hit works may be directly adapted by Fanqie Novel into theatrical films, enabling a leap from mini series to the big screen. Representatives from the Shanghai International Film Festival, Fanqie Novel, and Jimeng AI stated that the program aims to integrate resources and technology, build a full-chain support system, discover high-quality content, and help mini series achieve "cross-dimensional" growth and cinematic expansion.
Gaozhou, Maoming Explores a New "Mini Series + Agriculture" Model to Boost Rural Incomes
Recently, the assistance task force stationed in Gaozhou under the "Hundreds, Thousands, and Tens of Thousands Project," together with representatives from 27 township-level teams and relevant municipal departments, carried out a field survey in Sishui Town. The survey shows that nearly 200 production teams have so far come to the area for location shooting and related service training. Through mini series productions, they have told stories of Maoming and Gaozhou. More than 80 short dramas have incorporated local elements such as lychees, longan, Huajuhong, Sanhua plums, agarwood, tilapia, Gaoliang cuisine, and beautiful courtyards from Maoming and Gaozhou.
The local government has provided production teams with support such as catering and accommodation services, prop rentals, and opportunities to hire local residents as extras. To date, more than 300 villagers have participated in filming, achieving a model of "production teams entering villages" and "tourists entering households," effectively expanding multiple channels of income growth for rural residents. In Tandian Village, the number of households engaged in courtyard-based businesses has increased from 22 to 33, creating nearly 100 jobs. The village has attracted over 300,000 tourist visits, increased collective village income by about 40% year on year, and raised the average annual income of villagers to 52,000 yuan, nearly 10,000 yuan more than the previous year.
To further transform online traffic into development gains, during the meeting, the Gaozhou county–town–village task force launched the Spring Festival campaign "Celebrate the Chinese New Year in Tandian—'He Mei Hao Ju'". From New Year's Day to the Spring Festival, the campaign will use agriculture, rural areas, and farmers-themed mini series as a creative carrier to welcome the holiday season and promote the integrated development of rural characteristic industries, agriculture, culture, and tourism.
To sustain and expand the value of digital traffic, the task force launched the Spring Festival campaign "Celebrate the Chinese New Year in Tandian—'He Mei Hao Ju'". From New Year's Day to the Spring Festival, they plan to promote activities such as co-creating mini series themed around agricultural products, building a "one village, one specialty" mini series premiere marketplace, and setting up a central live-streaming venue. These efforts aim to turn villagers into "leading actors" and agricultural products into "story protagonists," forming a virtuous cycle of "mini series driving sales, sales promoting tourism, and tourism revitalizing rural communities," thereby advancing deeper integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism.
Anhui Online Literature Creation Tour Launches at National Museum of China, Featuring AIGC Mini Series Gui Chu Ji (Return to Chu) Trailer
On December 28, The "Crossing Wuwangdun: From Archaeological Site to Literary Scene—An Online Literature Masters Creation and Research Tour in Anhui" activity commenced at the National Museum of China. The event aims to promote the transformation of archaeological discoveries into literary inspiration, explore innovative expressions of China's outstanding traditional culture in the internet era, and inject new artistic momentum into Anhui's efforts to strengthen its cultural and tourism sectors.
At the launch ceremony, several initiatives related to the incubation and transformation of the "Wuwangdun" IP were announced: Anhui Publishing Group introduced the Anhui Online Literature "Summit Project"; the Publicity Department of CPC Huainan Municipal Commitee released specific measures to support the adaptations of online literature IPs; and Anhui Media Group initiated the "Crossing Wuwangdun: Z-Generation Story Retelling" creation collection campaign for university students.
A highlight at the event was the debut of the trailer for the AIGC-powered mini series Gui Chu Ji, showcasing the new trend of technology empowering cultural creation. Guests also participated in themed discussions on online literature inspired by the Wuwangdun and visited the "Echoes of King Kaolie—Archaeological Discoveries from Wuwangdun Tomb No. 1, Huainan, Anhui" exhibition, gaining a close appreciation of the splendors of Anhui's Chu culture. The event will run until December 30, and will include follow-up activities such as university student creative collections and specialized signing events, continuously promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of Anhui's excellent cultural resources.
Filming Commences for Period Premium Short Drama Chong Sheng 80: Ba Qi Lao Ma Hu Jia Ren at Hengdian
Recently, the filming commencement ceremony for the period premium short drama Chong Sheng 80 (Reborn in the 80s: The Great Mom Protecting Her Family) was grandly held at Hengdian World Studios in Zhejiang. The crew will be filming at various distinctive locations within Hengdian, covering key settings such as retro streets, old neighborhoods, and period residences. Through on-site shooting and meticulous costume, makeup, and prop design, the production aims to recreate the unique style and quality of life of the 1980s. Cultural scholar and co-producer of the series, Wang Yue, stated, "We hope that through delicate emotional portrayal and a tightly-paced storyline, the audience can not only experience the nostalgic atmosphere of the 80s, but also be moved by the female lead's sincere emotion for protecting her family. Our goal is to create a premium period short drama that offers both visual appeal and emotional resonance." Currently, the crew has completed the preliminary preparations, and after the commencement, filming will soon enter a busy stage. The drama is expected to be completed by February 2026 and will be released to the audience shortly thereafter.
Multiple Short Dramas Launch Production in Nansha, Transforming Its Landscapes into Popular Filming Locations
Recently, multiple short dramas have been successively filmed in Nansha District, Guangzhou, highlighting the unique appeal of the district and Gangwan Sub-District as emerging filming locations for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's film and television industry. A new path integrating "film & television + cultural tourism," which drives regional integration, is taking shape here. From the initial experimentation with a single short drama to multiple works being launched consecutively, forming a creative cluster, Nansha is rapidly attracting film and television resources with its unique coastal scenery, robust supportive policies, and a continuously improving industrial ecosystem.
In recent years, Nansha District has continued to strengthen its support for the cultural and creative film and television industry, forming an appealing "policy package." Since the Cultural Industry High-Quality Development Conference on September 28, the district's cultural industry construction has been accelerating. At the "2025 Content Creator Carnival," Nansha introduced the "Five Development Essentials" and the "Eight Major Projects for High-Quality Online Content Creation," offering comprehensive support such as tax incentives, rent-free workspaces, living subsidies, and assistance for global expansion. This provides creators with full-chain support from incubation and production to international distribution. Furthermore, through a series of favorable policies like the "Nansha Plan," which offers a dual 15% tax incentive, and the "Guangzhou Nansha District Support Measures for the High-Quality Development of the Game and Short Drama Industry," Nansha has built a full-chain policy support system for short dramas.
