SIFF NEXT |A Galaxy of Young Talents: SIFF NEXT Announces the Finalists
SIFF NEXT of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) has announced today the finalists, with 20 applicants standing out for this section. The applicants will participate in the first phase (a week-long) of SIFF NEXT, where they will deeply engage in various activities of a competitive feature film festival. This section will also provide them with the opportunity to network with like-minded creators, preparing them for future project development.
Application and Review Report
This year's SIFF NEXT has received 331 applications, with the directors category making up 76% (250 applicants), screenwriters category 13% (42 applicants), and producers category 12% (39 applicants), among which the proportion of director applicants has significantly increased compared with previous editions. Most applicants this year are aged between 24-34, with 90s-born creators being the majority. Screenwriter applicants tend to be older, between 28-39 years old, bringing life experiences that enrich their scriptwriting. The diverse backgrounds of applicants, spanning literature, animation, design, law, and even science and business fields, continue to be a characteristic of this section.
Among the director applicants, the proportion with overseas education backgrounds reached 43.6%, a 15.7% increase from the previous edition, offering rich cross-cultural perspectives. In the review process, preliminary jury member Long Lingyun noted, “The applicants this time are impressive. Many works demonstrate a high level of production, exuding a sense of new energy.” The visual and narrative abilities in applicants’ past works were a key focus for the reviewers. Preliminary jury member Jing Ran emphasized the importance of core conflict in stories: “Directors’ portfolios mostly consist of short films, and those with concentrated conflicts stand out immediately.” Long Lingyun added, “A director’s personal style reflects their attitude, and unique subject expression reveals their viewpoint. Understanding a director’s choices and potential through their works is crucial.” Preliminary jury member Qu Youjia also mentioned that “accurate and creative audiovisual expression, clear themes, and the translation of personal emotions to the audience” were critical review criteria. Final jury member Liu Jiayin took both the quality of applicants’ past short films and their ongoing projects into account, highlighting the diversity and distinctiveness of the selected participants.
In the screenwriter category, applicants aged 25-30 generally come from literature or film-related backgrounds. Young creators often draw inspiration from personal experiences. Among the slightly older applicants, many are not formally trained in screenwriting, yet they show significant creative potential and mature writing skills. Preliminary jury member Cao Liu focused on the completeness of scripts or outlines of the applicants’ projects in development, stating, “The completeness of a feature film’s story is fundamental, followed by clear positioning and unique originality.” Final jury member Chang Chia-Lu looked forward to seeing more “neatly written” scripts: “Screenwriting is a profession where ideas must be effectively communicated through writing, and effective execution is as important as good concepts.”
The producers category includes both applicants with experience in feature film projects and fresh talents who have participated in numerous short film projects following their education abroad. Preliminary jury member Li Xiang noted, “The applicants this year are excellent, making the evaluation process exceptionally difficult and leading to prolonged deliberation.” Key aspects considered in evaluating the applicants included their past project experience, understanding of the producer’s role, and the quality of their projects in development. Final jury member Jo Jo Hui emphasized the importance of the originality of the project’s subject matter, feasibility, budget rationality, and the structure of the core creative team.
Also, the projects submitted this year predominantly focus on realistic stories, though the themes and content remain diverse, with a growing trend towards more genre-based narratives. Cao Liu mentioned, “While coming-of-age themes are easily relatable, exploring unique themes and solid genre storytelling can overcome the limitations of these common subjects. Specific genre stories require higher storytelling skills and can easily become cliché. When creators infuse their personal emotional experiences or genuine thematic expressions, the overall maturity and originality of the stories will be improved.”
Twenty talented young filmmakers
Upon receiving the applications, SIFF NEXT launched its evaluation process immediately. Following assessments and discussions by the preliminary and final review committees, 20 applicants were selected for SIFF NEXT 2024. This includes five in the producers category, five in the screenwriters category, and ten in the directors category. Each participant is a young filmmaker with expertise in their respective field, committed to professional development in the film industry.
This year’s SIFF NEXT includes directors whose short films have previously been selected for the SIFF and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival competitions. The producers and screenwriters categories are also comprised of participants with feature film experience. For the first time, creators with documentary backgrounds have been included in the directors category.
Among the selected applicants by SIFF NEXT, director Qian Ning’s short film FLUFFY BALL was shortlisted by SIFF EXPLORE in 2023. Director Zhong Hongshi’s SUMMER KNOWS and Zeng Huaqian’s THE LONG JOURNEY were finalists for the Golden Goblet Awards’ Short Film category at SIFF in 2023. XIAOHUI AND HIS COWS by producer Li Haozheng was part of the Short Film Screening section of SIFF 2023, and producer Xu Jianshang’s film LAST NIGHT’S STARS won the Best Cinematography Award at the Asian New Talent section of SIFF in 2019. As a critical part of SIFF’s “6+1” progressive talent nurturing scheme, SIFF NEXT connects with various sections of the festival. It serves as a bridge to the Golden Goblet Awards’ Short Film category and establishes a direct path to SIFF PROJECT, thereby supporting the growth of young filmmakers.
Since its pilot in 2017 and its subsequent upgrade in 2019, SIFF NEXT, now in its fifth edition, is a new talent incubation section initiated by SIFF. Unlike SIFF PROJECT, SIFF NEXT concentrates on emerging individual creators by identifying and supporting young filmmakers with potentials, helping them enter the film industry and complete their first and second feature films through a series of progressively designed activities.
To date, SIFF NEXT has recommended 80 promising young filmmakers to the industry (40 directors, 20 producers, and 20 screenwriters), and incubated 37 projects. Among them, five projects have been completed, and four have been selected for international film festivals.
Recently, the two "Best SIFF NEXT Projects" from the second phase of last year’s SIFF NEXT, LUCKY DAY and DUCK HILL, have entered post-production.
SIFF NEXT
SIFF NEXT, established in 2017 and fully upgraded in 2019, is a crucial element of the SIFF’s progressive new talent incubation system. It shifts the focus from projects to individual new creators, aiming to help them break into the industry and complete their initial and subsequent feature films. So far, SIFF NEXT has introduced 80 young filmmakers (40 directors, 20 producers, and 20 screenwriters) to the industry, and incubated 37 projects, with 12 shortlisted for SIFF PROJECT, five completed, four selected for festivals, and one released.
The program consists of two phases, held in summer and winter each year. This year-round, step-by-step activity model, while selecting and recommending promising producers, screenwriters and directors who are at the core of project initiatives, helps emerging filmmakers refine their scripts and start developing their feature projects, offering continuous support for personal growth and project incubation, to build a thriving ecosystem for young Chinese-language filmmakers.
For the Next Generation of Filmmakers
For the Next Generation of Cinema
The 26th SIFF
SIFF NEXT Phase I
2024.06.15-06.22
Producer | Writer | Director
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