Windy Shao

windysjf@hotmail.com

THE 14th China International New Media Short Film Festival opened Wednesday night at the Guangming Culture and Art Center in Shenzhen. As a premier national and international short film festival, this event has been a launchpad for numerous emerging film and television creatives.

Notably, the festival is where film director Jiaozi (Yang Yu) first gained acclaim. Jiaozi’s debut animated short film — “See Through” — was screened during the inaugural festival in 2010 and received the coveted Jury’s Award. His recent direction of hit film “Ne Zha 2” has made him a top Chinese director.

The progression from a 16-minute award-winning short film to the worldwide success of “Ne Zha 2” highlights the festival’s pivotal role in unearthing talent, providing early exposure, and fostering the careers of emerging filmmakers like Jiaozi.

Spanish director Aitor Arenas, an advisor for the festival, expressed appreciation for the festival’s impact on future industry leaders like Jiaozi, stating, “I think it’s a very good example of what this festival is doing and what we expect from short films. We expect directors of the future. I think that’s the example of directors who started in a short film festival and now are making millions at the box office, so I love it.”

Spanish documentary filmmakers Ane Inés Landeta and Lorea Lyons, winners of the Documentary of the Year Award, said this festival gives directors recognition, paving the way for their future success.

This year’s festival received 3,448 submissions from 119 countries and regions.

Winners of the KingBonn Awards, also known as the Short Film Director Supporting Program, were announced in categories such as Documentary of the Year, Animation Short Film of the Year, College Student Short Film of the Year, and Drama Short Film of the Year. An important competition of the festival, the program aims to discover talent and support young directors’ creations.

The festival, which runs until Feb. 23, features a diverse array of events, including the National Micro Short Drama Enterprise Forum, GBA Short Film Creation Tour activities, and the GBA Audiovisual Creation and Investment Conference.

The KingBonn Night ceremony also included the launch of the Follow Micro Short Dramas for Popular Science initiative, which aims to inspire scientific workers to create popular science content that will contribute to enhanced scientific literacy nationwide.

Also at the ceremony, the Shenzhen Micro-Short Drama Industry Alliance was established. Spearheaded by industry leaders like Tencent, the alliance seeks to foster collaboration across the micro-short drama ecosystem.