The 16th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) is scheduled to be held in late April 2026 in Beijing. Its Short Video Section, co-hosted by the BJIFF Organizing Committee and the Communication University of China, has officially kicked off a global call for entries, extending a warm invitation to creators from all over the world to submit their exceptional short video works.
The theme of the short video section of the 16th Beijing International Film Festival
Since the Short Video Section was added to the BJIFF in 2022, it has gone through four years of development and achieved remarkable results, witnessing numerous creators recording the beauty of the world and capturing the pulse of the times through their lenses, and setting an industry benchmark for short video creation with high-quality works that combine artistic value and social influence. Adhering to the consistent mission and principles of "internationalization, academic rigor and professionalism", the 2026 Short Video Section takes "New Visions, New Vitality" as its core theme. It encourages creators to make use of new technologies and innovative ideas, focus on real-life scenarios, capture touching moments in daily life, shape a rich and three-dimensional image of Chinese culture, showcase the features of the new era, and create in-depth, down-to-earth short video works that resonate with the times.
The Honors Ceremony of the Short Video Section of the 15th Beijing International Film Festival
The Short Video Section features a diverse range of entry categories, including four major types and two special segments. The four main categories cover News, Knowledge, Documentary and Literature & Art; the News category seeks concise and interesting short video news works with essential journalistic elements; the Knowledge category calls for popular science works focusing on life skills, scientific knowledge, learning tips and experience sharing, with accurate audio-visual expression and rich creativity; the Documentary category collects realistic works that record ordinary yet powerful figures around us, capture touching daily moments and reflect the development of the times and social progress; the Literature & Art category includes micro-dramas, music short videos, animated short videos and other artistic works that advocate profound ideological, cultural and aesthetic connotations and convey mainstream culture and values. In addition, the section sets up two special segments of "Youth China" and "Civil Affairs China" to fully explore diverse themes and creative expressions.
The Honors Ceremony of the Short Video Section of the 15th Beijing International Film Festival
The global call for entries of the 16th BJIFF Short Video Section builds an important international platform for creators around the world to tell Chinese stories and spread Chinese culture. Relying on the authoritative platform of the BJIFF, the section takes short videos as a lightweight and highly communicative medium, to build an innovative channel for the international communication of Chinese culture. Its diverse entry categories and special segments accurately focus on era narratives and youth expressions, providing a visual window for global creators to observe China and tell Chinese stories. Through subsequent screenings, academic exchanges and industry dialogues, the section will form a complete chain from content creation to value communication, further enhancing the international communication power and influence of Chinese culture, and effectively promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and the world.
Editors: Fang Yiran, Ma Liya, Zhu Yuhang, Zhang Ruohan
Managing Editor: Shao Jianyu
Editor-in-chief: Yu Ran, Yang Zhongtian
