Since its inception in 2006, FIRST International Film Festival (abbr. FIRST IFF) has been a film festival-style service platform in China, focusing on discovering and promoting young filmmakers and their early works. FIRST IFF advocates youth film culture, enriches artistic creation, intervenes in the ecological cycle of the film industry, and preserves the memory of contemporary film history.
As an independent market-based platform with public responsibility, FIRST consistently injects fresh energy into the Chinese film industry, contributing to the sustainable development of the film ecosystem.
FIRST IFF highlights emerging Chinese-language filmmakers, celebrating a commitment to free and independent cinematic expression. Films selected for the Main Competition, both feature-length and short, will compete for ten awards, including Best Narrative Feature, Best Documentary Feature, and Best Short Film. For detailed information on the Main Competition awards, please refer to Article 3 of these regulations.
The FIRST FRAME invites both feature and short films that examine gender and identity through the life experiences of women and diverse individuals onscreen, encouraging cinematic practices that move beyond fixed gender narratives. The section awards Best Feature Film and Best Short Film determined by an independent jury.
The FIRST PIONEER focuses on short films that challenge formal conventions and expand cinematic language, foregrounding international perspective, humanistic engagement, and critical reflection on modernity, while inviting viewers to participate in the making of new audiovisual forms. The section awards the Best Short Film, determined by an independent jury.