Much to the delight of movie fans and industry workers, the 23rd Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) will open on July 25 with a mixed format of in-person and virtual events, the organizers announced on Friday. It will be the first large-scale cinematic event in China since the coronavirus outbreak, opening just one day before the FIRST International Film Festival, which will be held in the western city of Xining.

The festival will run from July 25 to August 2. It is typically held in mid-June, but was postponed this year due to the pandemic.

The festival will hold online events, but also physical activities, including film screenings, following an announcement by the country's film administration that cinemas in low-risk areas nationwide may re-open starting July 20 after a months-long closure.

The China Film Administration said that the reopening will be in line with local prevention and control measures and added that theaters in medium- and high-risk areas will remain shut for the time being.

The SIFF will present its screening schedule on Saturday and tickets will go on sale from July 20. Tickets will only be sold online and the number of spectators in theater halls will be kept under 30 percent of the venue's capacity.

The Shanghai International TV Festival, typically held earlier than the film event, will take place from August 3 to 7. It was scheduled to be held from June 8 to 12.

Although both events have condensed their schedules, they will be an important milestone for performing artists and millions of industry workers who have been waiting in the wings.