28 Oct 2026
The sixth MEGA International Creative Media Festival, hosted by the Academy of Film and Creative Technology (AFCT) at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), made its debut at the Suzhou Cultural and Creative Design Industry Trade Expo from 29 September to 2 October 2026. Themed 'Syntegration', this year's festival received 2,014 submissions from 10 countries and regions and introduced a dedicated immersive media category. Its global call for submissions, young creators, exploration of AI and immersive media, and first appearance at the city's cultural and creative industries expo attracted media attention in China and overseas.
Leading Chinese media, including China Daily, China Newsweek and Xinhua Daily, covered the festival. From the call for submissions through to post-event coverage, MEGA featured in 330 news reports and social media posts across 218 media sources. Festival-related content also recorded 625 pickups and listings across media outlets and platforms in China and overseas, while livestreams of the awards ceremony generated 1.623 million views.
During the submission period, coverage focused on the festival's launch, theme, call for entries and new immersive media category. Subsequent reporting shifted towards its Suzhou expo debut, interviews at the event, award-winning works and the creative practice of emerging talent. Together, these two phases sustained media interest from the initial call for submissions through to the festival itself.
Extensive coverage in China
Across the submission and post-event periods, MEGA generated 330 news reports and social media posts across 218 media sources. Outlets and platforms carrying festival-related content included China Daily, China Newsweek, Xinhua Daily, Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation's Lizhi News and Our Jiangsu platforms, Modern Express, Yangtse Evening Post, Jiangnan Times, Suzhou Daily, and Suzhou Broadcasting System's Kan Suzhou platform.
Early reports introduced the festival's theme, call for submissions and new category. During the event, journalists from several outlets attended the Suzhou expo and interviewed Professor Youmin Xi, Executive President of XJTLU, and Professor Qian Liu, Dean of AFCT. Their reporting explored MEGA's first appearance at the expo, the award-winning works on display and the creative approaches of young participants, bringing further attention to the festival.
Representative coverage included China Daily's 'Sixth MEGA makes its debut at Suzhou cultural expo', China Newsweek's 'Spotlight on MEGA's cultural expo debut', Xinhua Daily's Jiaohuidian report 'Sixth MEGA launches global call for submissions', and Suzhou Daily's 'XJTLU's MEGA comes to Suzhou cultural expo'.
Alongside written, photographic and video coverage, the awards ceremony was livestreamed simultaneously on NetEase News and several other platforms, generating a combined 1.623 million online views.
Multilingual international coverage
Content announcing MEGA's call for submissions and recapping the festival was republished or listed by media outlets and platforms across multiple countries and regions. The call for submissions recorded 170 pickups and listings, while the event recap recorded 455, bringing the total to 625 across China and overseas. The event recap reported an average potential audience of 3.1 million.
The recap was published in several languages, including English, Japanese, Korean and traditional Chinese. Media websites and platforms carrying the content included Yahoo Finance; Japan's Mainichi and Jiji.com; South Korea's Yonhap News Agency; and Singapore's CNA and The Straits Times.
By Wenzhen Li
Data Source: PR Newswire
28 Oct 2026