This year, the China Film Directors' Night, a premier film event, is held in Yantai for the third straight year. [Photo/WeChat account: ytkfqfb]

The 2026 China Film Directors' Night returned to the coastal city of Yantai in East China's Shandong province for the third consecutive year, bringing together hundreds of filmmakers to celebrate the industry's finest.

Held on July 5 at the Bajiao Bay International Convention and Exhibition Center, the event featured the Guild's 2025 Annual Honors. Ne Zha 2 won Best Picture, Cai Shangjun took Best Director for The Sun Also Rises, and Chen Kaige received the Outstanding Contribution Award. Other winners included Xin Zhilei for Best Actress, Tony Leung Ka-fai for Best Actor, and Shen Ao for Best Young Director.

Yantai's cinematic legacy dates back more than a century. In 1898, cinema first reached China through Dengzhou — today's Yantai — where a local student coined the term "dianying", the Chinese word for film.

Since then, more than 100 productions have been shot in the city's historic streets and coastal vistas. Today, the annual Directors' Night has become Yantai's flagship cultural event, fueling its "Follow the Films to Yantai" tourism campaign.

With a 2024 policy backing the industry with 15 million yuan ($2.1 million) annually, the city has added 43 licensed film companies and built over 18,000 square meters of production space. From naming cinema to building its future, Yantai keeps writing its film story — one wave at a time.