by FIlmInk Staff
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), in partnership with the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR), today announced it will present the China premiere of acclaimed Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton’s new feature film, Wolfram, following its selection as part of the official program of the Shanghai International Film Festival this month.
The event forms part of AACTA’s three-year cultural and industry exchange initiative designed to strengthen creative, cultural and professional ties between Australia and China’s screen sectors.
The premiere of Wolfram will take place on Sunday, 14 June, at Shanghai’s historic Cathay Theatre, with director Warwick Thornton joined by producers Greer Simpkin and David Jowsey for an exclusive post-screening discussion.
This year marks the second year of AACTA’s partnership with NFACR. Each year, the partnership spotlights a major Australian film at a leading Chinese film festival, supported by an Australian screen industry delegation and a program of screenings, filmmaker discussions, networking events and targeted industry engagement.
In 2025, the initiative delivered a gala presentation of the AACTA Award-winning Australian film Better Man at the Beijing International Film Festival, alongside an Australian delegation representing the country’s leading VFX and post-production sector.
Wolfram headlines the Shanghai International Film Festival’s 2026 Australia Focus program, which will further showcase Australian storytelling through screenings of First Light (2025), Mockbuster (2025), and a restored presentation of the Australian classic Storm Boy (1976).
AACTA will also lead a major industry forum at the Shanghai International Film Festival Market, connecting Australian and Chinese screen professionals to explore new collaboration opportunities.
The Filming in Australia: Incentives, Facilities and Co-Production Opportunities forum on Saturday, 20 June, will provide Chinese producers, filmmakers and industry leaders with a practical overview of Australia’s screen ecosystem, including production incentives, studio infrastructure, locations, post-production capabilities and international co-production pathways.
Featuring senior representatives from the Australian screen industry, the session is designed to showcase Australia’s world-class production expertise and position the country as a leading destination for international screen partnerships.
AACTA Chair Jack Christian said Wolfram’s China premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival was a significant recognition of Australian storytelling and the international strength of the Australian screen industry.
“Warwick Thornton is one of Australia’s most distinctive filmmakers, and Wolfram is exactly the kind of bold, original work that deserves to be seen on major international stages,” he said.
“Australian screen culture is strongest when our films are not only celebrated at home, but part of major international conversations. Through our partnership with NFACR, AACTA is proud to present Wolfram in Shanghai and to continue building creative and professional connections between Australia and China’s screen communities.”
The partnership forms part of AACTA’s broader Asia International Engagement Program, which was launched in 2017 to champion Australian screen talent, creative capability and industry expertise across Asia while developing new pathways for international collaboration.
Past initiatives have included Access Australia, a dedicated Australian content portal launched on Chinese streaming platform Bilibili; an animation and VFX masterclass with Animal Logic at the Shanghai International Film Festival; an Australia-China Co-Production Forum; and AACTA’s 2023 presentation of Leah Purcell’s The Drover’s Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson at the Beijing International Film Festival, marking the first Australian Indigenous film selected for that festival’s official program.
