To empower the science fiction film and television industry with the advantages of Xiongan as a “City of Technology”, promote the synchronized development of Beijing and Xiongan New Area through the science fiction film and television industry, and enhance technology popularization among the public, the Beijing International Film Festival Organizing Committee, Xiongan New Area Publicity and Internet Information Office, and Bureau of Development and Reform co-organized the Everlasting Beijing International Film Festival—Xiongan Future Video Festival Film Season.
The competition received 583 entries, including science fiction short films, science fiction dramas, and AIGC works from around the world. After a rigorous review by a professional jury, 65 works were selected for the final round. Six single awards were presented in the final round: Best Science Fiction Short Films with Special Effects, Best Science Fiction Short Films, Best AIGC Short Films, Best Science Fiction Short Dramas, Best Science Fiction Animation Short Films, and Best Science Fictions Created by Students.
Faculty members and students at the Communication University of China have achieved remarkable success again. Professor Huang Shi’s “The Last Minute” took second place in the Best Science Fiction Short Films category. Yang Han, a doctoral student majoring in animation from the Class of 2021, won third place with his “The Reincarnated Giant” in the Best Science Fiction Animation Short Films category.
Chen Yueyang, a digital media art major from the Class of 2022, had his “Silicon Era” selected for three awards and achieved success in the roadshow, along with Shi Yanwei, a digital media art major from the Class of 2023, with his “Space Jazz”. The honors were reported by People's Daily, the official website of Xiong'an New Area, and the official WeChat account “Xiong’an Fabu”.
SYNOPSIS
The Last Minute
SYNOPSIS: The story unfolds across a four-layered narrative space. In the first layer, the protagonist struggles to find oxygen bottles on an outer planet. In the second layer, the protagonist faces the threat of a ticking time bomb. In the third layer, the protagonist is dying from blood loss. The fourth layer is the real world. The dwindling battery of the VR headset gives rise to all these crises confronting the protagonist. Whether the protagonist in the real world can resolve the crisis in time determines the fate of the protagonists in the other three narrative spaces.
In the narration, the creator breaks away from the conventional trope of “the rescue at the last minute”. Instead, the protagonist fails his missions in the other parallel universes due to a simple mistake in the real world, failing to create a miracle at the last minute. This story serves as a metaphor for a certain power relation: one person’s life-and-death matter may be nothing more than a triviality to another.
This film was selected for the 2024 LA Shorts International Film Festival and ChinaGraph Electronic Theatre.
The Reincarnated Giant
SYNOPSIS: A future nuclear war strips humans of their livable environment. In the face of this survival crisis, Mr. Jin Bei, the leader of the Jinbei Conglomerate, decided to mutate himself into a giant baby and establish a hive-like society dominated by this giant baby, aiming to put an end to human strife and unrest. Although humans seemingly regain order, maintaining this giant baby requires immense labor from everyone. Opposition forces are lurking in the shadows, ready to strike. One day, Doctor Yuanlai received news that the erythrocyte count of the giant baby was plummeting…
Silicone Era
SYNOPSIS: In 3025, bionic humans launched a rebellion war. Humans developed a new batch of bionic humans programmed to “never betray humans”. Unfortunately, this new batch suffered heavy casualties. The sole survivor was ambushed on his way back home, and the attacker was revealed to have been lured in by his “human companion”.
Space Jazz
SYNOPSIS: The science fiction short film “Space Jazz” focuses on spaceflight and space exploration. The story revolves around a young man who dreams of flying into space using his father's aircraft. During his journey, he encounters a mysterious woman at a rest stop. Unfortunately, he encounters an accident involving satellite debris and finds himself floating in space. In his final moments, he plays a saxophone solo, which then brings him back to reality.
This 10-minute film is set in a near-future backdrop that blends reality with a young man’s fantasies. The film utilizes UE5 for virtual production and motion capture, creating real-time rendered 3D scenes through green screen synthesis and XR screen techniques. The Lab Vicon system is employed for efficient shooting, exploring the potential applications of virtual shooting technology in Chinese science fiction films.
The science fiction shorts showcased at the event demonstrated creation pathways, aesthetic styles, the application and development trends of special effects, as well as diverse narratives, advanced technologies, and reflections on social responsibilities. The innovative techniques of expression and independent technological advancements shone as highlights throughout the roadshow, showcasing the high quality and innovation of Chinese science fiction shorts.
The roadshow event for the science fiction short film unit, supported by the International Cooperation Center of China Aerospace, issued an initiative to jointly create a future aerospace film and television platform and launched a series of animated science popularization films with space themes. This not only excited anticipation within the industry but also injected new vitality into the development of the science fiction film industry.
The impressive achievements of the finalist work not only demonstrate the creativity and expertise of CUC Anima students but also showcase the school’s exceptional efforts in fostering integrated innovation between art and technology. The school will continue to uphold its educational philosophy of “Humanities as the foundation, Technology as the tool, and Art as the method”. With creativity as the core, technology as the support, and the market as the orientation, we will strive tirelessly to cultivate more outstanding film creators.
Editor | Yu Siyuan
Art editor | Yao Xintong
Editor in Charge | Deng Jiayun, Liu Yiran and Shi Xiaoyan
