China’s first AI‑generated feature cleared for cinemas and filed as animation

Summary

Sanxingdui: Future Memories is a 90‑minute film produced with ByteDance's Jimeng AI by Bona Film Group's AIGMS centre that opens nationwide in China on 23 October; the National Film Administration granted a public screening licence on 28 April and the release date was announced on 27 September. (claims: production method, length, opening date, licence date, announcement date) The film was approved under the regulator's animated feature category because no formal category exists for AI‑generated features, and the project involved 'more than a hundred people over roughly two years' with all characters described as original digital creations. (claims: regulatory filing as animation, lack of category, team size and duration, character creation) Observers and the publisher note this precedent may harden into practice and that classification affects crediting, review standards and audience expectations. (claims: precedent and industry implications, quoted WeChat commentary)