China Media Group's short-drama conference: which script calls are open, and who owns shortlisted work

Who this is for, and what it helps you decide

Screenwriters, web novelists and small teams thinking of pitching short or medium-length drama scripts to a national platform, and producers watching how live action and AI generation are being combined. It helps you decide whether to submit to "I Am the Miracle" before December, whether you accept that shortlisted work becomes the organisers' copyright, and which new calls to wait on until official terms appear.

Most of the conference consisted of title announcements and partnership signings. It introduced no new rules and announced no new funding amounts.

What was announced (official reports)

According to CCTV News's October 18 report, carried on CCTV.com, CMG and its partners launched a "CMG National Short and Medium-Length Drama Quality Co-Creation Plan" at the event in Pudong, and CMG's Shanghai bureau signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement with the Pudong New Area government. Jiefang Daily's October 19 report, republished on the Shanghai government website, gives the same account.

The CCTV.com report names more than 20 titles, covering subjects such as the Long March, suspense, law and urban development. Two CMG productions, "Red Code" and "Emei", "will work with Volcano Engine to explore a production model combining live-action filming with Seedance AI generation". The reports do not say which shots or stages will be AI-generated, or when the titles will be released.

On talent and technology, the conference launched the "Spring Sprout Plan", a training camp described as supporting young creators from concept to finished work, and a partnership to jointly develop and promote an AI-assisted script assessment system, drawing on the technology of Western Film Group (Xiying). Neither report says when or to whom the system will be available, or what criteria it will use.

Which calls are open, and can you find the rules?

"I Am the Miracle" script and outline call: run by CMG with Shenzhen, its notice was published on CCTV.com on March 14. It is open worldwide to Chinese citizens aged 18 or over and to creators from other countries and regions who are adults under local law, with no restriction on experience or occupation. Entries fall into four areas: contemporary, modern-era and historical subjects, plus a special APEC "China Year" strand. Any genre is accepted, but work must be original and unpublished. The call runs from March to December 2026, with shortlists announced in batches.

Entries consist of an application form, an original synopsis of about 1,500 Chinese characters and an original outline of about 10,000 characters. The form is obtained by following the "CCTV电视剧" WeChat account and sending "我就是奇迹"; materials go to the single official address in the notice, qiji2026@cctv.com, with the subject line giving "submission + title + lead writer's name + phone number". At the conference, organisers reported progress: an incubation programme for APEC-themed shortlisted works has started, beginning with "Circulating Container" (our translation of the Chinese title).

Note the copyright term: the notice says shortlisted creators sign legal documents with the organisers, shortlisted scripts and outlines are incubated by the organisers, and "copyright in the corresponding works belongs to the organisers". The notice says nothing about payment, credit, or what happens to entries that are not shortlisted.

Other calls: the reports say an Anhui tourism-themed script call ("皖美如画 迎客天下") invited creators worldwide, and the light comedy project "喜聚总台·好戏开拍" is collecting everyday stories from the public. The reports we read give no deadline, submission route or terms for either, and we found no official notice for them. No application route for the Spring Sprout Plan has been published either.

How the English and Chinese reports differ

CGTN's English report of October 19 says CMG "opened a global call for short and medium-length drama scripts, including works linked to the 2026 APEC meetings in China". The Chinese report on CCTV.com describes the globally open invitation made at the conference as the Anhui tourism call, while the APEC element is the incubation of shortlisted entries from "I Am the Miracle", which has been open since March. English-language writers who want to submit should start with the "I Am the Miracle" notice, the only call we found with written rules.

What it may mean for creators (editorial inference, not tested by us)

If you plan to enter "I Am the Miracle", decide first whether you accept that, once shortlisted, the work's copyright goes to the organisers under the notice. That may stop you selling the same story to another platform or adapter. For a serialised story or one you intend to license elsewhere, read the legal documents you would sign on shortlisting before you submit.

"Red Code" and "Emei" show a national platform trying mixed live-action and AI production, but so far there is only a statement of direction. It is not enough to judge costs or workflows, and it does not mean AI dramas will be favoured in selection.

The AI-assisted script assessment system has only just entered joint development, and there is no evidence that it is being used to judge any call, so there is no reason to reformat scripts for it. For the Anhui call and the training camp, wait for the official notices and prepare against their terms.

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