On the evening of September 14, the award ceremony of the third Cross-Straits Film Festival was held in Pingtan, the closest place on the mainland to the island of Taiwan, announcing the winners. Multiple short films by young Taiwanese directors were nominated and awarded. [Photo by Zhong Xin from Chinanews.com]

With a total funding of approximately 2.8 million yuan (RMB), the third Cross-Straits Film Festival (CSFF), also known as Pingtan IM, awarded a prize of 300,000 yuan for the Best Film, making it the most prestigious award in global short film festivals. Thirteen universities were awarded the title of "Student Creative Base" in Pingtan, exploring new paths for industry cooperation and development. Several short films by young Taiwanese directors also received awards. 

In recent years, Pingtan has emerged as a flourishing hub for filmmakers from both sides of the Taiwan Straits, often colloquially referred to as a cinematic "dream factory."

Pingtan has introduced a flurry of film and television policies with Taiwan characteristics, emphasizing support for students from both sides of the straits and young talent in the field. With an investment of 830 million yuan, Pingtan has built a Taiwan-style film and television base, providing free studios and discounted accommodations for young filmmakers from both sides of the straits.

With the continuous improvement of film and television policies and incentives, the market has experienced rapid growth. As of now, there are 210 registered film and television companies in Pingtan, including various sectors of the industry chain such as film production, distribution, theaters, and talent agencies.

In this edition of the film festival, Li Jiahe, a young director from Hebei University of Science and Technology, won the highest honor, the "Kylin Best Film," with his work made with a budget of only 5,000 yuan. He expressed that this award would provide financial support for his future feature films.

When viewed from above, Pingtan resembles a Kylin, an auspicious creature in Chinese folklore. Interestingly, the award in the film festival is named after the Kylin, paying homage to this mythical being.

The festival received a total of 1,849 submissions from 331 universities worldwide. Among the 30 award-winning works, 8 were from Taiwan. It is widely recognized that young Taiwanese filmmakers have become an outstanding force.

Looking back at the three editions, young filmmakers from both sides of the Taiwan Straits have showcased their talents, creativity, and the enormous potential for cooperation in film creation.

During the first edition of the festival, young director Sui Shufen from Taiwan won an award. When she attended the festival for the first time via live video link from Taipei, she said, "Director Wang Xiaoshuai said during the award ceremony that young filmmakers are not just young film students but also newcomers to the film industry who maintain a perpetual passion for cinema. His words inspired me and gave me the courage to move forward." This year, Sui Shufen completed another work, and she looks forward to coming to Pingtan next year with her new film.

Zhang Zhuangjing, a young director from Taiwan, previously worked as an executive director at a small advertising company and later obtained a master's degree in film creation from Taipei University of the Arts. His short film "That Winter," created during his studies, won the "Kylin Excellent Short Film" award at this year's festival.

"The advantage of film festivals is that directors can have face-to-face exchanges with audiences, which helps them better examine their own works," Zhang Zhuangjing expressed, hoping that young filmmakers from both sides of the Taiwan Straits will strengthen their exchanges and cooperation in the future, jointly promoting the development and integration of the film and television industries across the Taiwan Straits.  

Zeng Xianghui, chairman of Fujian Media Group, said that this year's edition has focused more on the industry, providing new ideas, creating new opportunities, and cultivating youthful strength for the prosperity of the film industry on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. "We are delighted to see that 12 young people from Taiwan participated in the festival in person for the first time. We hope that more 'first-timers' from Taiwan will come regularly."

Pingtan's film and television industry is focusing on cross-Straits integration by using festivals to promote industry development. In addition to hosting the film festival, Pingtan has also hosted the Straits Television Art Festival, the Cross-Straits Newcomers TV Hosting Competition, and the 6th Global Chinese Scriptwriters Seminar. Furthermore, through the film festival, collaborations have been established with institutions such as the Beijing Film Academy and Xiamen University's School of Journalism and Communication, promoting talent exchanges and cooperation.

(Source:Chinanews.com)

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