THE Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Media, Tourism, and Sports Bureau has recently unveiled a series of policies to bolster the high-quality development of online micro-short dramas, according to the Shenzhen Guangming WeChat account. This initiative, titled “Measures to Promote the High-Quality Development of the Online Micro-short Drama Industry,” aims to stimulate and nurture this rapidly growing sector. At the core of the policy is the allocation of 80 million yuan (US$11.25 million) from Shenzhen’s financial resources and the fostering of social capital investment exceeding 2 billion yuan. The plan involves establishing a financial fund and a social investment mechanism, setting up a dedicated micro-short drama service center, and accrediting five micro-short drama industry bases. These efforts are directed at positioning Shenzhen as a prominent center for the micro-short drama industry, not only within the region but also on the global stage. These policy unveilings took place during the 13th China International New Media Short Film Festival’s “KingBonn Night” event in Guangming District on Aug. 29. Micro-short dramas, known for their innovative artistic expressions, unique business models, and distinct methods of dissemination, have been gaining traction in the online audio-visual content landscape. With support from the National Radio and Television Administration, the industry is growing towards focusing on concise and high-quality contents, showcasing promising prospects for further advancement. The establishment of the Shenzhen Micro-short Drama Service Center was also announced. The center offers a comprehensive range of services covering all aspects of short drama creation, production, registration, review, online release, promotion, and copyright transactions. Previously, the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Radio, Film, and Television outlined 28 detailed measures across eight key areas concerning short dramas. These measures include initiatives such as the GBA Micro-short Drama Industry Index, streamlining approval procedures, expert content evaluations, and financial incentives of up to 100,000 yuan for scripts and 200,000 yuan for production support per project. A highlight of the Guangdong policies is the collaborative agreement signed during the event among various entities for the “China (Guangdong) Ultra-High Definition Television Pioneer Action Plan,” emphasizing the development of innovation hubs and promoting the GBA International Smart Audio-Visual Service Valley. Meanwhile, five final works of the “KingBonn Director Support Program” were announced, including the annual short film, drama short film, documentary short film, animated short film, and university student short film, with the film “In My Skin” winning the annual short film support title.(Shao Jingfeng) | 