Residents attend an outdoor screening in Daning community in Shanghai's Jing'an district.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Outdoor projection sites have been set up in seven commercial centers and 36 communities in the city. Some of these sites will also invite movie-industry insiders and actors to share their views with the audience before or after the movies.

To ensure public safety, all tickets are sold online, and audiences will need to have their temperatures taken upon entering the cinema. Hand sanitizers, masks and disposable gloves will also be provided. In addition, moviegoers must keep their masks on throughout the movie, and the consumption of food and beverages has been prohibited.

Current circumstances have also compelled the festival to cancel its celebrated red carpet and grand opening ceremony at the Shanghai Grand Theater. Instead, an opening forum featuring film-industry leaders from China was held at the Crowne Plaza Shanghai hotel on July 25.

Another notable fixture that is missing from this year's event is the Golden Goblet Awards, or Asian New Talent Awards.

"We have seen quite a number of companies related to film production closing down because of the pandemic," said Wang Zhonglei, co-founder and CEO of Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, during a forum on the development of the industry chain of filmmaking in China on July 27.

"I can't say these companies were poorly managed or that they lacked a long-term vision. They closed simply because of difficulties in the market."