The Shanghai Film Art Center has for decades served as the main venue for the annual Shanghai International Film Festival, receiving nearly 1 million guests during the festival's events.

Following a year of renovation, the center has reopened in time for the filmfest. 

It's that time of the year when movie buffs flock to the Shanghai Film Art Center to be transported to a world of cinematic wonder.  

But this year is extra special. With its recent renovation, the center has undergone a stunning transformation, offering even more surprises for movie lovers. 

As you step into the lobby, the grandeur of the space is immediately apparent, with a massive LED canopy stretching almost 30 meters long and 6 meters wide overhead.  

And it's not just any ordinary ceiling, as it boasts naked-eye 3D effects and immersive stereo sound.  

This is the No.0 hall, designed to show trailers of upcoming blockbusters in all their glory on a cutting-edge display.

The renovated theater is now equipped with an intelligent cinema control system and an electronic control management system.  

This new "smart cinema" is expected to support unmanned screenings and automatic scheduling.  

Screening halls are also getting a facelift.  

The biggest transformation here is the main screening hall, the No.1 hall, which has now been upgraded into a Dolby Auditorium. This is Asia's first 1,000-seater Dolby immersive audio-visual space.  

Since the founding of the Shanghai International Film Festival in 1993, the Shanghai Film Art Center has always been a tentpole of the festival. Within these walls, there's been screenings of a wide range of films, from the works of masters to the debuts of new directors, from commercial blockbusters to hidden gems in the art house film genres.  

For cinema enthusiasts, the Shanghai Film Art Center is more than just a theater.  

It's a sanctuary where emotions are stirred, memories are made, and dreams are born.  

Films have always been an integral part of our lives. In a way it truly has the power to be everything, everywhere all at once. And now it’s time to enjoy my share of the film festival experience here.