The award ceremony of the 4th Cross-Strait Youth Film Festival was held Saturday in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province, drawing about 400 film experts, industry representatives, university students and young filmmakers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
As part of the 2026 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival's year-round Golden Rooster series, the event was held right after Friday's opening ceremony of 2026 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, one of the largest and most historical film festivals in China.
The festival features solicitation of short films from universities on both sides of the Strait, which comprise four sections covering documentary, narrative, Xiamen's regional culture showcase, and AI short films. Receiving 1,006 short film entries from 165 schools, the event shortlisted 23 top quality productions.
"I am honored to receive the recognition here, and it has given me great encouragement. I am very glad to have the opportunity to exchange with a director from Taiwan, which has benefited me a lot," said Chen Haotian, director of a jury-recommended short film titled The Wind from the Tip of the Pen Is Still Blowing.
Prior to the ceremony, a youth filmmakers training camp was launched in September as part of the youth festival. Focusing on "good stories from both sides of the Strait," more than 100 young filmmakers completed a time-limited creation from script to set.
"Films from both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same origin. I think we share the same empathy and resonance, and the hope that the Chinese nation will be prosperous. I especially hope that more young people from Taiwan can come to Xiamen, come to the mainland, and see the changes in our films," said Yang Yazhou, director of Silent Honor, a prominent mainland spy drama.
"I look forward to having more scripts and stories created jointly by both sides of the Strait in the future, so that more audiences can understand each other," said Taiwan actor Tim Huang, who is also the Golden Rooster film festival's cross-Strait film promotion ambassador.
As a key part of the festival, a university tour of outstanding short films from universities on both sides of the Strait was also launched in Xiamen. From November to December, the tour will also include Taiwan universities for screenings, bringing more outstanding short films and cross-strait youth creativity to a broader stage.
Cross-Strait youth film festival spotlights ties between young filmmakers
