2025-05-30

SIFF NEXT | Emerging Filmmakers in Spotlight: SIFF NEXT 2025 Announces Finalists

Today, the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival’s SIFF NEXT announced its annual selection result. Ten outstanding emerging filmmakers have been chosen to participate in a three-day industry workshop this June in Shanghai. Under the mentorship of seasoned professionals, they will refine their projects in development and prepare for higher-level industry opportunities.

Finalists

Through a rigorous two-round review by preliminary and final annual focus committees, SIFF NEXT 2025 has selected 10 talented creators: 3 producers, 3 screenwriters, and 4 directors. The finalists represent diverse professional backgrounds and career experiences, bringing an array of distinctive projects in development.

PRODUCER

ZHANG Qianqian

ZHAO Zheyuan

Joyce XING Yueyi

SCREENWRITER

QIU Shengbin

TANG Yan

REN Mohan

DIRECTOR

ZHANG Shubo

LIU Zhiquan

CHEN Ruoxuan

Kaia GAO

Names arranged according to the order of submission

In this edition of SIFF NEXT, many selected creators have previously gained attention at film festivals such as Shanghai International Film Festival, San Sebastián International Film Festival, and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Among them, director Kaia GAO’s short film Twenty（as producer）and director Liu Zhiquan’s PRINCESS ARIEL were selected for the Short Film section of Golden Goblet Awards at SIFF in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Producer Zhang Qianqian’s Short Summer in Lhasa was selected for the “WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP)” section of SIFF PROJECT 2024. As a key component of SIFF’s “6+1” step-by-step talent cultivation system, SIFF NEXT connects organically with various sections to actively support the growth of young filmmakers.

SIFF NEXT Application and Selection Report

This year’s SIFF NEXT received 310 applications, with directors accounting for approximately 67% (208 applicants), screenwriters 18% (57 applicants), and producers 15% (45 applicants). The proportion of screenwriters increased compared with previous years. In terms of age distribution, this year’s applicants span from the 1960s to the 2000s, with the post-90s generation remaining the dominant creative force at 58%, consistent with the previous edition. Female creators accounted for 40% of applicants, bringing unique female perspectives drawn from their personal experiences. Most applicants graduated from domestic and foreign film/media schools, with solid professional foundations, while outstanding individuals from STEM, business, law, and other disciplines also contributed to the diverse backgrounds.

Among the director applicants this year, many come from fields including documentary, advertising, and theater. Some have demonstrated comprehensive creative abilities in scriptwriting, directing, and cinematography through their previous works, showcasing notable diversity and variation. In the screenwriter category, over 70% of applicants possess literature or film-related academic backgrounds, exhibiting strong writing skills and mature scriptwriting capabilities. The minority without formal training have offered particularly insightful social observations in their story themes, presenting equally impressive perspectives. The producer applicants comprise both seasoned professionals with extensive industry experience and vibrant new-generation talents, including independent producers, studio producers, and those in career exploration phases.

Regarding projects in development, this year’s submissions reveal two distinctive characteristics: applicants are examining gender issues and technological ethics through differentiated lenses, demonstrating deeper social consciousness in theme selection; certain projects are expanding traditional cinematic expression by integrating multimedia elements from film, gaming, and animation. Beyond conventional genres like family dramas and youth films, submissions in sci-fi, crime, and comedy have increased this year, reflecting creators’ rich imagination and strong genre exploration sense. As commented by director category preliminary judge Yang Suiyi: “Ultimately, we evaluate whether works have substantive content, emotional resonance, and genuine intellectual engagement - not just empathy, but also critical thinking and distinctive viewpoints.” Regarding script homogeneity, screenwriter judge Jin Ying noted: “Screenplays or outlines with truly distinctive characteristics naturally stand out.”

Regarding selection criteria, the judging focus varies across different categories. For the director category, judge Yang Suiyi prioritizes applicants’ aesthetic pursuits and personal distinctiveness. “Beyond technical proficiency,” he emphasizes, “what matters more is demonstrating clear creative intent, a willingness to take risks, and an irreplicable expressive impulse - particularly through their unique perspective and thought process in audiovisual language.” Screenwriter judge Jin Ying

focuses on “the precision of visual depiction, imaginative richness, and the ability to convey a script’s most distinctive elements through text.” Producer category judge Li Tianyu outlines her approach: “My evaluation centers on applicants’ demonstrated independence in previous producing experience, along with their current project’s feasibility and originality. Specifically, we examine whether the script’s scale aligns with its budget, if the intended visual style matches the narrative tone, and other such selection considerations.”

SIFF NEXT

SIFF NEXT, as one of the key components of SIFF’s step-by-step talent incubation system, was established in 2017 and underwent comprehensive upgrades in 2019. It shifted focus from projects to emerging filmmakers, providing targeted support to help fresh talents enter the industry and assisting them in completing their first and second feature-length films. To date, SIFF NEXT has recommended 100 young filmmakers (50 directors, 25 producers, and 25 screenwriters) to the industry and incubated 37 projects.

The 27th SIFF

SIFF NEXT

2025.06.21-06.23

June 21-23, 2025

Producer | Screenwriter | Director

siffnext@siff.com