– How was the Hengqin International Film and Television City project developed, and how do you assess its progress so far?
Li Ming — Hengqin International Film and Television City is a joint project created through a partnership between ChineseAll Group and Hengqin’s guiding fund. Planning began in March 2025, construction officially started on 12 August of the same year, and the base welcomed its first production crew — TVB’s The City of Brilliance — on 9 January 2026. Following the Spring Festival, the site formally opened to the industry. So far, nearly 30 audiovisual productions of different genres have already been secured, including advertising projects and short-form dramas, with filming scheduled through the end of the month.
– What competitive advantages does Hengqin offer, in terms of location, policies and resources, compared with other audiovisual production bases in mainland China?
L. M. — Hengqin benefits first and foremost from its strategic location in the Greater Bay Area and its proximity to Macau, which gives it a significant advantage in terms of accessibility and mobility compared with other audiovisual production bases in mainland China. This is reinforced by the specific support policies in place in Hengqin, as well as the complementarity between the resources available in Hengqin and Macau. This combination makes it possible to meet between 80 and 100 percent of film crews’ set requirements. In addition, crews can enter via Macau with a work visa and travel into mainland China for longer filming periods, with the initial 30-day period extendable to 90 days through a residence permit.
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– What is the base’s strategic positioning in terms of sets and productions, particularly in the short-form drama segment for the international market?
L. M. — The base was conceived with a clear focus on producing short-form dramas for the international market. The entire planning of the sets was designed to meet the specific demands of this segment. The international platform Flareflow, associated with the project, already brings together several productions in filming each month and is currently transferring to Hengqin a large number of productions that were previously carried out overseas. Among the main factors of attraction are lower production costs, solutions to work visa-related issues, the quality and suitability of the available sets, and local support policies for short-form drama production.
The Hengqin base is positioning itself as essential infrastructure for the practical implementation of the company’s global strategy in the short-form drama sector — Li Ming, Deputy General Manager of ChineseAll (Guangdong Hengqin) International Film and Television Industry Development
– How does this project fit into ChineseAll’s international strategy for the short-form drama industry?
L. M. — The creation of Hengqin International Film and Television City is directly linked to ChineseAll’s internationalisation strategy. The company’s strategic priority, like that of the base itself, is the overseas market. ChineseAll began its international expansion in 2016 and, over the past decade, has not limited itself to exporting content rights, but has also developed its own platforms. One of the most relevant examples is Flareflow, which reached top positions on Google Play and in the free entertainment section of the App Store just a few months after its launch. In this context, the Hengqin base is positioning itself as essential infrastructure for the practical implementation of the company’s global strategy in the short-form drama sector.
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– How do you assess the current development of the global short-form drama market, and what international distribution strategy has been adopted?
L. M. — Short-form dramas are currently establishing themselves as one of the major cultural phenomena on a global scale, with a presence across a large part of the international market, including North America, South America, Southeast Asia, Japan and the United States. In light of this, the strategy is based on global distribution through the Flareflow platform. The aim is not to focus on isolated markets such as Brazil or Singapore, but rather to expand broadly into a growing number of countries and regions. The platform is currently present in more than 200 countries and regions.
– What role can Hengqin International Film and Television City play in the cultural and professional integration between Hengqin and Macau?
L. M. — One of the project’s key aims is precisely to strengthen integration between Hengqin and Macau. The base intends to attract more professionals from Macau, including local residents, to take part in film and television production processes. At the same time, development strategies focused on both public engagement and training are being studied, particularly through practical partnerships with Macau universities and by making film city resources available for public-facing services such as themed short-form filming, wedding photography and portrait photography.
– Are there any specific measures or policies planned to support the participation of teams, professionals and institutions from Macau in this project?
L. M. — Yes. Preliminary contacts have already taken place with the Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macao Cultural Development Fund. In addition, Hengqin’s support policy for short-form dramas provides for a specific percentage increase aimed at the Macau sector. Details of these measures are expected to be announced at the Hengqin Global Short Drama Launch Conference, scheduled for 16 April.
(PLATAFORMA travelled to Hengqin at the invitation of the Executive Committee of the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone.)
