SIFF PROJECT｜SIFF PROJECT 2023 Calls for Entries

SIFF PROJECT of the 25th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) will be held in Shanghai in June 2023. Submission will be open to high-quality film projects by filmmakers around the world from January 15, and representatives of shortlisted projects will be invited to participate in related activities of the 25th SIFF. Filmmakers are welcome to submit their works on our website www.siff.com.

Group photo of project teams shortlisted for SIFF PROJECT 2021

SIFF PROJECT, as an influential film project financing event in Asia, has been successfully held for 15 editions since its establishment in 2007, and 86 projects it selected entered production, many of which won awards at major film festivals, gaining wide attention and recognition from the industry. It is not only an incubator for excellent works, but also an important platform for the industry to discover new Chinese filmmakers. Committed to communicating industry resources, supporting young Chinese filmmakers, and promoting Sino-foreign cooperation, it has gradually developed four sub-units: Pre-production Project, Co-production Project, New Talent Project, and Work in Progress Project. A total of 30 to 40 projects are shortlisted for SIFF PROJECT every year and supported in incubation, financing and promotion at different stages.

Since the 25th SIFF, which was originally scheduled for June 2022, has been postponed to 2023, if you already submitted your project for any sub-unit of SIFF PROJECT during the original registration period, there is no need to submit it again. Projects that were submitted in 2022 with fees paid and successfully registered will all be included in the selection for SIFF PROJECT 2023 without paying the registration fee again.

In 2022 that just ended, SIFF PROJECT was pleased to see the achievements of several projects shortlisted in previous editions:

DANCING GREEN directed by Ma Yingxin (SIFF PROJECT 2021) has completed filming and is now in post-production;

LATE SPRING directed by Yuan Yuan (SIFF PROJECT 2021) was selected by the 2022 Sundance Directors Lab and IFP Week Market, with filming wrapped for the short film;

MIX SAND directed by Yang Yishu (SIFF PROJECT 2021) has completed filming and is now in post-production;

THE GREAT DISTANCE DELIVERS CRANE directed by Lhapal Gya (SIFF PROJECT 2021) was shortlisted for the 16th FIRST International Film Festival Xining (Xining FIFF 2022) Competition; and was screened at the 2022 Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival as a domestic production;

SUMMER DIARY directed by Wu Shuang (SIFF PROJECT 2021) was selected for Xining FIFF 2022 Competition;

TILL LOVE DO US PART directed by Ran Li (SIFF PROJECT 2021) was selected for Far East in Progress of Focus Asia at the 2022 Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy;

X-PLAN directed by Chen Xiaoming (SIFF PROJECT 2020) has completed filming and is now in post-production;

ONE AND FOUR directed by Jigme Trinley (SIFF PROJECT 2020) won Best Narrative Feature, Best Director and Best Performance awards at the 16th FIRST International Film Festival Xining;

FENG GUO ER (formerly FENG CONG ER BIAN CHUI GUO) directed by Peng Tao (SIFF PROJECT 2019) has completed filming and is now in post-production;

HOW (formerly XIANG YI WEI MING) directed by Liu Teng (SIFF PROJECT 2019) was selected for the Hidden Dragon section of Pingyao International Film Festival;

THE POST-TRUTH WORLD (formerly THE CRIME SCENE) directed by Chen I-fu (SIFF PROJECT 2018) was released in theaters in 2022;

GROWING APART directed by Long Lingyun (SIFF PROJECT 2018/ SIFF NEXT 2017) won a Best Performance award at the 16th FIRST International Film Festival Xining; and was screened as a domestic production at the 2022 Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival;

HOT SOUP directed by Zhang Ming (SIFF PROJECT 2018) was shown in Mainland China theaters in 2022;

GAEY WA'R (formerly STREETWISE) directed by Na Jiazuo (SIFF PROJECT 2017) won Grand Jury Prize and Best Artistic Originality at the 16th FIRST International Film Festival Xining;

MANCHURIAN TIGER directed by Geng Jun (SIFF PROJECT 2017) was shown in Mainland China theaters in 2022;

INVISIBLE TATTOO directed by Lu Yitong (SIFF PROJECT 2014) was shown in Mainland China theaters in 2022;

Negotiation meetings at SIFF PROJECT 2021

New Talent Project is open to the first or second feature film project of Chinese directors to reflect the support of SIFF for new Chinese filmmakers. The shortlisted project teams will make public presentations to the annual focus committee, all buyers, industry media, domestic and foreign distributors, and film festival programmers, and talk with investors, distributors, and programmers invited by the festival at one-on-one round table discussions.

Group photo of shortlisted New Talent Project teams and the annual focus committee at SIFF PROJECT 2021

Pre-production Project selects more mature directors and teams or more developed feature film projects. The shortlisted project teams will have the opportunity to communicate with the annual focus committee of SIFF PROJECT, and conduct one-on-one roundtable discussions with investors, distributors and programmers invited by the festival.

Pre-production Project roundtable discussions at SIFF PROJECT 2021

Co-Production Project aims to promote the co-filming, co-production and cooperation of Chinese and foreign filmmakers, and supports feature film projects with international cooperation potential. The shortlisted project teams will have the opportunity to communicate with the annual focus committee of SIFF PROJECT, and conduct one-on-one roundtable discussions with investors, distributors and programmers invited by the festival.

Co-Production Project roundtable discussions at SIFF PROJECT 2021

Work in Progress Project is open to feature film projects that have already started shooting, are still shooting, or in post-production, so as to provide them with more targeted support in post-production, domestic and foreign distribution and promotion at film festivals. Shortlisted project directors will participate in public presentations, project negotiations and other activities during the SIFF PROJECT event, and can present a test screening of a clip of their films for the annual focus committee, all buyers, industry media, domestic and foreign distributors, film festival programmers and other industry guests.

A Work in Progress Project public presentation at SIFF PROJECT 2021

Registration fees

RMB 180 (Early bird: Jan. 15-Feb. 15, 2023)

RMB 300 (Feb. 16, 2023-submission deadline)

For regulations for entry submission please visit our website: www.siff.com

If you have any questions, please contact:

Working Team of SIFF PROJECT

project@siff.com

SIFF NEXT, which focuses on the incubation and development of new filmmakers, will be open to submissions very soon, so stay tuned.