Short drama event seeks original scripts

The first National Micro-Short Drama Script Competition announced on Thursday it would kick off in Beijing, and called for original scripts that promote China's rich culture and contemporary spirit.

The event, jointly hosted by multiple organizers including China Netcasting Services Association and Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, aims to encourage high-quality content creation in the booming micro-short drama industry, which now boasts over 662 million viewers across the country.

A total of 10 winners will be announced, respectively two for first prize, three for the second, and five for the third. Each category will award winners with different level of bonuses ranging from 100,000 yuan ($13,900) to 50,000 yuan and 10,000 yuan.

Five themes are set for submissions: realistic tales set in modern society; traditional culture set in ancient China; coming-of-age stories; sci-fi stories and tales specially revolving on Jinhua in East China's Zhejiang province.

Hengdian World Studios — hailed as China's Hollywood — is located in Jinhua. Hengdian, also the country's largest film and television production hub, hosted 215 horizontal-screen drama crews and 1,641 vertical-screen drama crews in the first half of this year, according to local authorities.

Script submissions will be accepted until Sept 20. The judging process will take place from late September to late October, and the winners will be announced at the Hengdian Film and TV Cultural Industry Development Conference in late October or early November, according to Tao Jiaqing, deputy head of the China Netcasting Services Association.

Lu Xuping, deputy director of the Management Committee of Hengdian Film and TV Cultural Industry Cluster Zone, said that they will provide multifaceted support for winners, including assistance with production and overseas distribution, with financial support reaching up to 5 million yuan.