The 25th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) will hold its SIFF EXPLORE unit in Shanghai in June 2023. The unit is now open for entries, which can be registered at its website www.siff.com, and the deadline is March 31, 2023. Short video works with a running time of 5 minutes or less including feature, animation, documentary and experimental ones from all over the world are eligible to enter for the competition.

This year's SIFF EXPLORE has noticeably expanded the running time of entries to 5 minutes compared with 4 minutes at previous editions. This one-minute extension is actually an encouragement to young filmmakers' creative enthusiasm and their courage to express. It is hoped that SIFF EXPLORE will be the “best experimental field” that gathers young talents for the film industry and inspires their creative minds.

In addition, since the 25th SIFF originally scheduled to be held in 2022 has been postponed to 2023, entries and individuals that have already signed up for SIFF EXPLORE during the original registration period do not need to re-register. These works will all be included in SIFF EXPLORE 2023 for selection and promotion at the 25th SIFF. In the end, the creators of the 20 selected works will be invited to participate in a series of activities such as on-site promotion, instructor forum, exploration class, post-training, and the red carpet of the Golden Goblet Award Ceremony.

The SIFF EXPLORE unit is an important part of improving the new talent cultivation system. It aims to scout new talents and new works through the dimension of short video works, encourage young filmmakers to actively explore the world of cinema, and contribute to the future development of the film industry by taking the responsibility for cultivating and delivering new talents.

Since its inception in 2019, the SIFF EXPLORE unit has been held for three consecutive editions. Well-known director/actress Sandra Ng, actor Chen Bolin, young directors Mai Zi, Zhou Shengwei, Zhou Ziyang, Liu  Kuo, screenwriter Yuan Yuan, actress Li Meng, well-known directors Ding Sheng, Cheng Teng, screenwriter Amei, and actress Qi Xi were invited to serve as instructors for this unit, selecting outstanding works and helping newcomers grow. In recent years, they have also worked hard in their respective positions and created numerous works, setting an example for more young filmmakers and conveying positive energy with their practical action.

In 2023, as SIFF is about to return, the SIFF EXPLORE unit will also start a new journey of exploration. Let’s meet again on the new journey!

Notes for Registration

1. Running time of the entry: 5 minutes or less;

2. Filming time: April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023;

3. Genre: Feature, documentary, animation, experimental, etc.;

4. Quality requirements: Only in MOV or MP4 high-definition format, 1080p HD (codec H.264), in line with the playing standard for 2K;

5. Orientation: Both landscape and portrait orientations are okay.

6. Applicant: The creator who owns the copyright of the work or his or her authorized representative, and only one main creator can be submitted for each entry;

7. Registration period: From now until March 31, 2023.

For the regulations of SIFF EXPLORE 2023, you can visit our website www.siff.com and view them in the "SIFF EXPLORE" section. Applicants can register online through the "EXPLORE submission" module on the website.

Established in 2019, SIFF EXPLORE is an innovative initiative aiming to improve new talent cultivation and create a multi-staged new talent incubation system together with Golden Goblet Awards Short Film, SIFF NEXT, and SIFF PROJECT. Based on short video works that have a running time of 5 minutes or less, it is designed to discover new talents and works, and encourage young creative talents to explore the production of film works to the fullest through solicitation, presentation, tracking, training and other forms that introduce them to full-length production. At the same time, it takes the advantage of and exerts the effect of the SIFF platform to integrate social resources and promote the reserve of talents, cultivating and providing new talents for the film industry for its future development.

Source: siff.com