SIFF PROJECT | SIFF PROJECT 2025 Announced Winners of the Honors
On June 17, the winners of honors of SIFF PROJECT at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) were revealed, marking the successful conclusion of the four-day event.
SIFF PROJECT was held in Shanghai from June 14 to 17, during which 19 projects were publicly presented, and the 34 shortlisted projects participated in project discussions. The public presentation attracted a large number of industry professionals, with many projects being fully booked even before the start of the sessions. Some attendees even requested additional sessions. A total of 175 production, investment, and distribution companies from both domestic and international markets participated in the event, resulting in 636 project meetings.
The Annual Focus Committee was chaired by renowned director, screenwriter, and producer Wen Muye, with producer and screenwriter Ying Luojia and director and screenwriter Anselm Chan serving as the committee members. They participated in the four-day event and provided professional reviews of the participating projects, evaluating them based on innovation, artistic value, and market potential. During the public presentation, the three recommenders engaged in in-depth discussions with project representatives, offering many valuable suggestions that are highly insightful for the industry.
The Annual Focus Committee provided professional evaluations of each project from multiple dimensions, including visual presentation, narrative techniques, real-world relevance, intellectual depth, and editing rhythm.
They recognized the projects for their outstanding performances in aspects such as stylization, authorial expression, use of humor, and real-world perspectives. At the same time, they offered constructive suggestions for improving the quality of the films, including deepening thematic content, strengthening character development, and adding elements that reflect the times, thereby providing valuable directions for future optimization of the projects.
After deliberation, the committee ultimately determined the winners of the five official honors: “Best Genre Project”, “Annual Focus”, “Best Talent Project”, “Most Creative Project”, and “Best WIP Project”. In this year’s selection process, three committee members also chose one “Jury’s Choice” project to offer additional support to outstanding works.
Diverse Innovation ·Film Projects Premiered at SIFF PROJECT
This year, SIFF PROJECT received a total of 534 valid project submissions, marking a 39% increase compared with last year. Among them, 480 projects were submitted under the sections of Genre Project, New Talent Project, Co-production Project, and Pre-production Project, while 54 projects were submitted under the Work-in-progress Project (WIP) section. Notably, this year SIFF PROJECT introduced a new “Genre Projects” section, aiming to encourage genre filmmakers to pursue innovation within established frameworks. The submitted projects cover a wide range of genres, including comedy, adventure, and road movies.
After the selection process, a total of 34 projects have been shortlisted for this year’s SIFF PROJECT: 5 in the Genre Project section, 5 in the New Talent Project section, 3 in the Co-production Project section, 12 in the Pre-production Project section, and 9 in the WIP section. Overall, the selected projects demonstrate extra diversity in their thematic content, ranging from explorations of history and traditional culture to the integration of technology and modern life, and from vivid individual stories to resonances with broader societal issues.
GENERAL’S ORDER stands out as a rare costume historical drama among the projects of SIFF PROJECT; Entertainment for He Who Longs to Travel the World re-examines the digitally constructed virtual world shaped by technology; HUADAN Rapper Go Go Go presents a fusion of traditional Chinese opera and rap in a contemporary context.
At the same time, many projects draw inspiration from the creators’ personal reflections and observations of people and events around them, endowing the works with unique and profound vitality. Test of Confucius reflects the director’s insights and observations on art exam candidates; The Daughter from Shanghai is inspired by the director’s journey from Shanghai to Xishuangbanna to explore her father’s past; while THE LAST FIREWORK incorporates the creators’ own life experiences, attempting to capture memories of Beijing during the early 2000s.
Witnessing Growth Nurturing Outstanding Films
Since its establishment in 2007, SIFF PROJECT has witnessed 112 projects entering production. Among the completed films, 77 have been selected by international film festivals, 56 have competed or been showcased at competitive feature film festivals, and a total of 74 have achieved domestic and international theatrical releases.
In her speech, Chen Guo, Director of Shanghai International Film & TV Festivals, Co., Ltd., emphasized that SIFF has always upheld its mission of focusing on “Asia, Chinese films, and New Talents”. After over thirty years of dedicated effort, it has developed a distinctive “6+1” progressive talent nurturing scheme. As a crucial part of this system, SIFF PROJECT continues to connect various stages of the creative process, supporting the growth of young filmmakers and fostering a healthy ecosystem from project incubation to industry integration. Among this year’s SIFF PROJECT shortlisted creators, several projects such as Dog Bite Dog, The Bird Chaser, Tides of Beatsa, Orlo with Karma, and The Daughter from Shanghai come from previous selected filmmakers of SIFF PROJECT. Meanwhile, projects like Good Drink Pub, Stranger in the Mountain, and Entertainment for He Who Longs to Travel the World, which had previously been shortlisted during their script development stage, now return in their new phase within the WIP section.
Industry Support Empowering Project Development
This year, SIFF PROJECT has partnered with eight collaborating organizations to provide financial and production services that support and encourage the further development of selected projects. The total value of cash and non-cash awards amounts to RMB 1.75 million. Among them, Mahua FunAge and Damai Entertainment will each select one project from all shortlisted projects, excluding the WIP section, awarding RMB 150,000 in cash.
Phenom Films, Mofei Pictures, and Image Forestt will each select one project from the WIP section to provide technical support, including post-production sound design, color grading, and other services. INBETWEEN will select two projects and offer poster and title design services to each awarded project.
Aputure will select one project from the non-WIP sections and provide lighting equipment and additional support for the film’s production. In addition, this year introduces a new partnership with China Film Co., Ltd., which will select one project from the non-WIP sections to provide venue and location services. These diverse forms of support contribute comprehensively to the incubation, development, and production of film projects.
SIFF PROJECT 2025
Winners of Honors
Dog Bite Dog
Annual Focus
Heading South
Best Talent Project
A PERFECT LIFE
Most Creative Project
Snow Falling on Cedars
Best WIP Project
Good Drink Pub
Jury’s Choice
He Who Longs to Travel the World
FunAge “Happy Together” Award
Dog Bite Dog
Damai Entertainment Support Project
FIND YOUR WAY
Phenom Films Award
The Daughter from Shanghai
Mofei Pictures Creative Sound’s Choice
Good Drink Pub
Image Forestt Award
Test of Confucius
Aputure Award
Snow Falling on Cedars
INBETWEEN Award
He Who Longs to Travel the World, Good Drink Pub
Back to Basics
“The innovative energy demonstrated by this year’s 34 selected projects, along with the passion of all the filmmakers present, has given us a profound sense of the vitality of Chinese cinema,” said Chen Guo during the announcement ceremony. “We hope that every shortlisted project will draw nourishment from the fertile ground of SIFF and grow toward a bright and boundless future!” SIFF PROJECT will continue to leverage its platform advantages, serving as a bridge between creativity and industry for young filmmakers, helping more outstanding works make the journey from page to screen, and from Shanghai to the world.
SIFF PROJECT
SIFF PROJECT was established in 2007. Having successfully held 17 editions to date, the program has nurtured 112 projects into production. Among these, 77 films have been showcased at international film festivals, with 56 selected for competition or screening at competitive feature film festivals, and 74 receiving theatrical releases. As both an incubator for outstanding cinematic works and a vital platform for discovering emerging Chinese-language talent, SIFF PROJECT has established five distinctive sections: NEW TALENT PROJECT, GENRE PROJECT, CO-PRODUCTION PROJECT, PRE-PRODUCTION PROJECT, and WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP). Each section offers tailored services, including project incubation, financing, promotion, and matchmaking, specifically designed to support projects at different creative stages and with varying artistic visions.
The 27th SIFF
SIFF PROJECT
2025.06.14-06.17
June 14-17, 2025
GENRE PROJECT | NEW TALENT PROJECT
PRE-PRODUCTION PROJECT | CO-PRODUCTION PROJECT | WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP)
project@siff.com
www.siff.com
Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism
