News & Events
Finalists
All That Lives 飛鳥、河流、土地和走獸
/AI%20Institution%20-%20All%20That%20Lives.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: WANG Yujin 王昱瑾
Hong Kong Baptist University
China | 2026 | 4’ 49” | In Mandarin and Tibetan with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
At his grandfather's sky burial, a Tibetan boy watches a vulture carry off the bell left to him - and after that, he hears his grandfather's answer echoing through every sound of living beings.
/AI%20Institution%20-%20WANG%20Yujin.jpg "AI Institution - WANG Yujin")
About WANG Yujin
Wang Yujin graduated from the Academy of Film at Hong Kong Baptist University. She leads a startup specialising in AIGC production and visual design, with works spanning experimental cinema, short dramas, and interactive games.
Dreams of Blindness 盲人與夢
/AI%20Institution%20-%20Dreams%20of%20Blindness.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: JIANG Li 姜酈
Communication University of Zhejiang
China | 2025 | 9’ 09” | In Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
Three visually impaired people share dreams of memory, longing, and regret in an AIGC-assisted documentary that explores ways of seeing beyond sight.
/AI%20Institution%20-%20JIANG%20Li.jpg "AI Institution - JIANG Li")
About JIANG Li
Jiang Li is an interdisciplinary artist working across performance, directing, curation, and arts education. She stars in Roaming (2018), selected for the 69th Berlin International Film Festival. Trained in Theatre, Film and Television Directing at the Communication University of Zhejiang, she is currently studying educational technology at the University of Pennsylvania.
HALO 來世錄
/AI%20Institution%20-%20HALO.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: ZHU Jingtian 朱璟添
Beijing Film Academy
China | 2026 | 6’ 15” | No dialogue | Colour
Three lifetimes bound by deep devotion, carrying love across life and death. As obsession clears, we see that farewell is not the end of love, and every year in the mortal world is a reunion waiting to happen.
/AI%20Institution%20-%20ZHU%20Jingtian.jpg "AI Institution - ZHU Jingtian")
About ZHU Jingtian
Zhu Jingtian is an undergraduate student at the Department of Cinematography, Beijing Film Academy. He is a director, AIGC content director, cinematographer, colourist, a self-media blogger with over a million followers, and a contracted editor for well-known enterprises. His works have been shortlisted for film festivals locally and internationally.
Pyre 臨水
/AI%20Institution%20-%20Pyre.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Directors: YoRHa & Wilson
Beijing Normal - Hong Kong Baptist University
China | 2026 | 7’ 03” | In Minnanese with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
In a coastal Fujian village, a seven-year-old girl clings to the occasional tenderness of her grandmother. Yet the grandmother is consumed by the desire for a grandson and the continuation of the family bloodline.
/AI%20Institution%20-%20YoRHa.jpg "AI Institution - YoRHa")
About YoRHa (CHEN Siyuan)
AIGC filmmaker dedicated to exploring AI-driven cinema. YoRHa’s works have been selected for the AIGC section of the Hainan Island International Film Festival, HKUST AI Film Festival, and the Origin Point Western Film Festival.
/AI%20Institution%20-%20Wilson%20WU.jpg "AI Institution - Wilson WU")
About Wilson WU
Emerging AIGC filmmaker with a BA in Film and Television from Hong Kong Baptist University and an MA in Film Studies from University College London. His work focuses on AIGC aesthetics and AI-driven filmmaking.
There Was a Day Everyone Cried
/AI%20Institution%20-%20There%20Was%20a%20Day%20Everyone%20Cried.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: JANG Sohyun
Korea National University of Arts
South Korea | 2026 | 9’ 59” | No dialogue | Colour
On a strange summer day in South Korea in the 1980s, beneath the clear blue sky, people cry out of the blue. People across generations shed long suppressed tears – in the streets, hospitals, offices… everywhere.
/AI%20Institution%20-%20JANG%20Sohyun.jpg "AI Institution - JANG Sohyun")
About JANG Sohyun
JANG Sohyun is pursuing a BFA in Film at the Korea National University of Arts. She is a sound designer and filmmaker working across film, multimedia art, virtual production, and XR. She has collaborated on projects with La Fémis, JIMI, Beijing Film Academy, KAFA, and KOFIC. She has also participated in interdisciplinary programmes at the University of Westminster and Stanford University. Films that she has contributed to were presented at festivals including Fantasia International Film Festival.
AI Shorts (Open Category)
About Ancestors and Certain Disappearances
/AI%20(Open)%20-About%20Ancestors%20and%20Certain%20Disappearances.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: Shantanu Rajesh NAIK
India | 2026 | 3’ 47” | In Marathi with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
A grandmother tells a child a strange fable about two crows who love each other. One day, one of them suddenly disappears, leaving the other searching for an answer. What begins as a simple story gradually becomes stranger...
/AI%20Open%20-%20Shantanu%20Rajesh%20NAIK.jpg "AI Open - Shantanu Rajesh NAIK")
About Shantanu Rajesh NAIK
Shantanu Rajesh Naik is an Indian filmmaker and visual artist whose work moves between cinema, moving image and experimental visual storytelling. His films often begin with simple observations and gradually move into surreal or unexpected territory.
Amrit
/AI%20(Open)%20-%20Amrit.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: Bharat PARMAR
India | 2025 | 7’ 7” | In Hindi with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
In a remote Himachali village, a young girl is possessed by Kichkandi, a witch who feeds on fear. As the village's ancient Shubmund ritual collapses into terror, one weeping child begins to laugh. The laughter spreads, and the entity that lives on fear begins to die.
/AI%20Open%20-%20Bharat%20PARMAR.jpg "AI Open - Bharat PARMAR")
About Bharat
Bharat is an award-winning filmmaker and director working at the forefront of India's emerging Al cinema. Self-taught since editing his first video at 14, he helms XSNRG, an Al-powered production ecosystem built for industry-grade work. All three of his films - Amrit, Anhad and I Lived - have won global awards and screenings.
Anhad
/AI%20(Open)%20-%20Anhad.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: Bharat
India | 2026 | 10’ 6” | In Hindi and English with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
Dev, a contracted mercenary, returns from a classified excavation on Titan and spends seven days refusing to explain what happened. What has happened slowly surfaces - he has broken protocol to save a dying lifeform buried in the methane ice, and has been carried into a hollow world beneath the moon.
About Bharat
Bharat is an award-winning filmmaker and director working at the forefront of India's emerging Al cinema. Self-taught since editing his first video at 14, he helms XSNRG, an Al-powered production ecosystem built for industry-grade work. All three of his films - Amrit, Anhad and I Lived - have won global awards and screenings.
It Spiced Me
/AI%20(Open)%20-%20It%20Spiced%20Me.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: Lucas KUZNETSOV RYDER TORRES PEREIRA
France | 2026 | 5’ 20” | In English with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
17-year-old Lucas traces his own spice route: from Western and Eastern heritage to places he has called home. Told through Ballets Russes-inspired animation and enchanting Rimsky-Korsakov's Schéhérazade, the film asks: what is your own Spice Route?
/AI%20Open%20-%20Lucas%20KUZNETSOV%20RYDER%20TORRES%20PEREIRA.jpg "AI Open - Lucas KUZNETSOV RYDER TORRES PEREIRA")
About Lucas KUZNETSOV RYDER TORRES PEREIRA
A Portuguese-Russian student in Paris. A classical pianist. A lover of biology and geography. Through his father's diplomatic career, he has lived in six countries.
The Opera Demons 戲妖
/AI%20(Open)%20-%20The%20Opera%20Demon.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Directors: ZHANG Ronghui 張熔慧 & ZENG Haolin 曾浩林
China | 2026 | 8’ 57” | In Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
Three fading traditional Chinese opera spirits who depend on human attention must leave their crumbling stage as their theatre empties and the art form fades from memory. They step into the modern city, chasing new ways to be seen.
/AI%20(Open)%20-%20ZHANG%20Ronghui.jpg "AI (Open) - ZHANG Ronghui")
/AI%20Open%20-%20ZENG%20Haolin.jpg "AI Open - ZENG Haolin")
About ZHANG Ronghui and ZENG Haolin
Ronghui Zhang and Haolin Zeng are MFA candidates at Shanghai Film Academy (Class of 2024) and co-founders of the student studio Initial Form Studio. Working at the crossroads of emerging technology and cinematic storytelling, they are dedicated to exploring how new tools can empower young filmmakers to bring stories to life that might otherwise remain untold.
blank
blank
blank
Black Goat 黑山羊
/Chinese%20Narrative%20-%20Black%20Goat.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: WANG Wenting 王文婷
Shanxi University of Media and Communications
China | 2026 | 18’ 50” | In Chinese with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
Left behind in the countryside with her grandmother, Xiuxiu sees her parents head to the city for work. Her crops are ravaged by sheep, and the talisman she pleads for is a sham. In the bitter winter, her grandmother dies abruptly. Under snow-laden skies, what future awaits Xiuxiu?
/Narrative%20(Chinese)%20-%20WANG%20Wenting.jpg "Narrative (Chinese) - WANG Wenting")
About WANG Wenting
Born in Zhoukou, Henan, China. Graduated from the Communication University of Shanxi. His works have been shortlisted for the 86358 Jiajiazhuang Short-Film Week.
Downstream 順流而下
/Chinese%20Narrative%20-%20Downstream.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: SONG Yibo 宋一博
Beijing Film Academy
China | 2026 | 27’ 36” | In Chinese with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
After the Wenchuan earthquake, the only old phone that has recorded the images of Xiaoli’s daughter before her death has broken down. During the process of repairing the phone, Xiaoli gradually begins to reflect on her attitude towards her daughter and questions whether she should still undergo in vitro fertilisation.
/Narrative%20(Chinese)%20-%20SONG%20Yibo.jpg "Narrative (Chinese) - SONG Yibo")
About SONG Yibo
Song Yibo graduated from the Directing Department of Beijing Film Academy. Downstream won the Special Mention at the Pingyao International Film Festival, the Annual Honorary Short Film at Waves Film Week, and the Best Screenplay at ISFVF, among other awards. His feature project received the Best Project Award at the Zhejiang Film Project Market. He has also worked on the feature film The Lyricist and has directed Apple's "Brilliant 90 Seconds" music video.
Embers Across the Tides 你從我的彼岸洄游
/Chinese%20Narrative%20-%20Embers%20Across%20the%20Tides.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: CHEN Yanlin 陳彥霖
Hong Kong Baptist University
China | 2026 | 29’ 58” | In Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
A 16-year-old small-town girl is drawn to her tutor, a young woman returning home after losing her job in the city. They are young and sharp-witted, both yearning to reach a wider world. In each other, they find a mirror - and subtle intimacy.
/Narrative%20(Chinese)%20-%20CHEN%20Yanlin.jpg "Narrative (Chinese) - CHEN Yanlin")
About CHEN Yanlin
Yanlin Chen is a director and screenwriter with a prolific background in short films and feature scripts. Her MFA thesis project, Embers Across The Tides, was honoured with the Outstanding Thesis Project Awards (Production) GOLD PRIZE at Hong Kong Baptist University and the DAMAI Entertainment Scholarship.
Her co-directed documentary, Move On. Move On., was shortlisted for the Hong Kong Film Festival UK and the HK Indie Short Film Award 2025, and received the Best Film at the 1st Flame Tree Awards for Non-Fiction Film.
Qingcheng 青城
/Chinese%20Narrative%20-%20Qingcheng.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: DU Shijie 杜世杰
School of Film Art, China Academy of Art
China | 2026 | 29’ 21” | In Sichuanese with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
Elderly caregiver Xiuqin lives with her disabled granddaughter, Qingqing, in a retired teacher's home. Marrying Zhou and visiting Mount Qingcheng is her dearest hope - until Zhou's children arrive, insisting Qingqing be sent to a welfare institution, and the old man turns against her. Her dream shatters…
/Narrative%20(Chinese)%20-%20DU%20Shijie.jpg "Narrative (Chinese) - DU Shijie")
About DU Shijie
Du Shijie holds a Master’s degree in Art Studies from the China Academy of Art. He is a director and compositor who has worked on productions including Cliff Walkers and its making-of documentary, as well as Ode to the Spring. His undergraduate thesis project, The Burning Figure of Buddha, was shortlisted for the Pingyao Corner programme at the 7th Pingyao International Film Festival. His experimental film, The Ant Death Spiral, received nominations at various film festivals in China. As a VFX artist, his work, Her Panic, was selected for the Main Competition of the 2026 FIRST International Film Festival and the 38th China Golden Rooster Project Market.
The Fox 看不見的狐狸
/Chinese%20Narrative%20-%20The%20Fox.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: SONG Zixian 宋子賢
School of Film Art, China Academy of Art
China | 2026 | 28’ 20” | In Uyghur and Mandarin with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
Uyghur youth, Ili, makes a living by helping Han Chinese vendor Lao Wang sell fox furs. He journeys through the desert in pursuit of a fox, only to find himself through a series of extraordinary encounters.
/Narrative%20(Chinese)%20-%20SONG%20Zixian.jpg "Narrative (Chinese) - SONG Zixian")
About SONG Zixian
In 2026, he received his Master's degree in Film Production from the China Academy of Art. His directorial short film, Bling Bling, won Best Screenplay and Best Short Film at the 2022 Zhejiang Golden Pheasant Film Festival, and was shortlisted for the Pioneer Art Film Festival and Chongqing Youth Film Festival. His short film, The Smoking Scene, won the First Prize in the "72-Hour On-Site Creation" section of the 2024 Zhejiang University Student Film Season. His works have been selected for and received awards at many festivals, including Jiashan International Short Film Week, FIRST International Film Festival, Xi'an Spring Film Festival, IM Cross-Strait Youth Film Festival, and Golden Rooster Young Filmmakers Short Film Season.
blank
blank
blank
Narrative Shorts (Institutional Nominations) - Non-Chinese Language
Closer
/Non-Chinese%20Narrative%20-%20Closer.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: Aleksandra SZCZYREK
Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School at the University of Silesia
Poland | 2025 | 17’ 55” | In Polish with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
Sisi is a partially sighted woman living under the control of her deeply controlling, overbearing aunt. After a failed blind date, she meets Wiktor, a gentle man who restores forgotten vintage appliances. Their heartwarming evening together sparks a sudden desire to rebel.
/Narrative%20(Non-Chinese)%20-%20Aleksandra%20Szczyrek.jpg "Narrative (Non-Chinese) - Aleksandra Szczyrek")
About Aleksandra SZCZYREK
Aleksandra Szczyrek was born in Rzeszów, Poland. She is a directing student at the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School at the University of Silesia in Katowice and a graduate of the Wajda School SCRIPT course. She is the writer and director of the film, Closer. Currently, she is also in the process of writing her own debut feature film.
Dance of the Spirits
/Non-Chinese%20Narrative%20-%20Dance%20of%20the%20Spirits.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: Andreea-Lorena FLOREA
National Film and Television School
UK | 2026 | 5’ 47” | In Romanian with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
Matei, a young shepherd boy living in the outskirts of Romania, finds more comfort among his sheep than with his abusive, alcoholic dad. But now Matei is starting to mimic his father's violence, he's faced with a question: Who am I?
/Narrative%20(Non-Chinese)%20-%20Andreea-Lorena%20FLOREA.jpg "Narrative (Non-Chinese) - Andreea-Lorena FLOREA")
About Andreea-Lorena FLOREA
Andreea-Lorena Florea graduated from The National Film and Television School with a Master of Fine Arts in 2026. She is a Romanian animator and traditional artist with an affiliation to folklore and metaphors. Andreea's traditional medium background brings her animated films a raw take on texture. Her interest in all forms of visual arts allows her stories to breathe and shape themselves.
Dizziness
/Non-Chinese%20Narrative%20-%20Dizziness.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: Emma MARKOVÁ
Tomas Bata University in Zlín - Faculty of Multimedia Communications Larnaca: Sam Spiegel Film and Television School
Czech Republic | 2026 | 19’ 54” | In Czech with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
By embracing the chaos of the world, we may become a lamp. In a cluttered apartment, where the Moon, recently drawn closer, fills the window, a young woman’s attempt to create order gradually gives way to surrender.
/Narrative%20(Non-Chinese)%20-%20Emma%20MARKOVÁ.jpg "Narrative (Non-Chinese) - Emma MARKOVÁ")
About Emma MARKOVÁ
Emma Marková studies directing and screenwriting at the Tomas Bata University in Zlín. Her short film, Far from the Tree (2023), screened at several festivals, including the Vancouver International Film Festival, while her following short film, Dizziness (2026), won first place at the Czech Television’s Film Accelerator 2025 programme. Alongside fiction films, she also works on documentary projects and is one of the creators of the documentary series, Status: Loneliness (2025), for the streaming platform iVysílání. She also occasionally works on music videos and commercials and takes part in community projects focused on engaging young people in public life.
Larnaca
/Non-Chinese%20Narrative%20-%20Larnaca.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Directors: Talia Tai BITON & Gil PELED
Sam Spiegel Film and Television School
Israel | 2025 | 16’ | In Hebrew with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
A young couple embark on a romantic sea voyage from Tel Aviv to Cyprus where they intend to get married. Sailing is smooth until the wind dies down and Ruth’s past seems to well up from the depths, threatening to erode the relationship.
/Narrative%20(Non-Chinese)%20-%20Talia%20Tai%20BITON.jpg "Narrative (Non-Chinese) - Talia Tai BITON")
About Talia Tai BITON
Born and raised in the desert community of Midreshet Ben Gurion, Talia Tai Biton studied at the environmental high school there. During her studies at Sam Spiegel Film & Television School Jerusalem, she worked as director, producer and designer. Her debut short, If I Forget You, was screened at the Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival and the Budapest Film Festival. She was awarded the Most Promising prize at the Jerusalem Women’s Film Festival.
/Narrative%20(Non-Chinese)%20-%20Gil%20PELED.jpg "Narrative (Non-Chinese) - Gil PELED")
About Gil PELED
Born in Haifa, Gil Peled started directing and producing music clips after his military service, which he continues to do to this day in addition to his studies. At Sam Spiegel Film & Television School Jerusalem, Peled has had the opportunity to work on all aspects of the set, with a concentration on cinematography. His debut film, Pines, screened in competition at the Jerusalem Film Festival.
With the Wind
/Non-Chinese%20Narrative%20-%20With%20the%20Wind.jpg "Future Film Fest 2026")
Director: Inès LEHAIRE
Ecole Supérieure des Arts Visuels de Marrakech
Morocco | 2026 | 10’ 38” | In Arabic with English and Chinese subtitles | Colour
An old florist is about to close his shop for good. With the help of Nassim, a young delivery man, he sets out to give away his remaining flowers. Along the way, an unexpected encounter stirs a long-buried emotion...
/Narrative%20(Non-Chinese)%20-%20Inès%20LEHAIRE.jpg "Narrative (Non-Chinese) - Inès LEHAIRE")
About Inès LEHAIRE
Inès Lehaire is a French-Belgian-Moroccan filmmaker. An ESAV Marrakech graduate, she has directed With the Wind, which premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival. A recipient of the Atlas Workshops and Tamayouz Atelier Pro, she develops Two Brothers through the CCM Residency. Drawn to characters who dare to leave everything behind through a contemplative cinema.