Wan Chai Hong Kong Arts Centre | 30th ifva Independent Short Film and Media Arts Festival

Description

Organized by the Hong Kong Arts Centre, the ifva Independent Short Film and Media Arts Competition celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, marking a significant milestone. Since its inception in 1995, ifva has been dedicated to promoting short films, animation, and media arts in Hong Kong and Asia, becoming a respected incubation platform for emerging creative forces. The 30th edition not only symbolizes ifva’s historical legacy and artistic achievements but also signifies the platform’s ongoing commitment to the development of creative culture.

This year, after a year of suspension for reflection, ifva resumes with a series of innovative initiatives, taking new steps toward the future. These include the newly established “AI Creation” category, as well as “Hong Kong Tertiary” and “Overseas Tertiary” categories, responding to contemporary trends and the needs of the new generation of creators. For the first time, ifva launches the “Professional Mentorship Program,” inviting seasoned directors and producers to serve as mentors, providing one-on-one guidance to local participants to enhance the professional capabilities of emerging creators and foster industry exchange. Additionally, as in previous years, ifva will host the “30th ifva Independent Short Film and Media Arts Festival,” screening this year’s shortlisted works. For the first time, ifva collaborates with the Korean short film streaming platform MovieBloc to launch an online screening initiative, featuring selected award-winning works from the 28th and 29th ifva editions for international audiences, expanding Hong Kong and Asia’s visual creations onto a broader global stage and showcasing the outcomes of cross-regional visual exchange.

Successfully collected 690 entries from across Asia; new AI Creation category and Hong Kong/Overseas Tertiary categories added

Over the past 30 years, ifva has provided aspiring creators with platforms to showcase their works and connect with the industry through competitions, screenings, and outreach programs, discovering and nurturing numerous influential filmmakers and media artists locally and internationally, and advancing the development of visual creation in Hong Kong and Asia. This year’s competition received an enthusiastic response, with 690 entries submitted from Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey, Iran, and other regions. To respond to evolving narrative styles and technological applications in short films, this year’s competition introduces the new “AI Creation” category, allowing participants to submit short films primarily created using AI. Additionally, the organizers have added “Hong Kong Tertiary” and “Overseas Tertiary” categories, aiming to discover more outstanding visual works from academia and nurture more young people aspiring to pursue creative careers.

Li Weiting, cultural studies scholar and preliminary jury member for the Open Category and Asia New Talents Category, noted that many Open Category entries showcased creativity through Hong Kong-style humor and fantastical styles. Some works impressively explored themes of gender, cross-border issues, and the resulting identity explorations. The Asia New Talents Category featured more experimental works, with “overall short films exhibiting avant-garde styles and exceptional mastery of technical execution and visual construction.”

Zhu Kaiying, emerging director and preliminary jury member for the Youth Category and Tertiary Category (Short Films), expressed delight at the enthusiastic response from the academic sector and noted the surprising quality of the works: “Creators not only demonstrate keen observation of their surroundings but also boldly experiment with narrative techniques, showcasing an unbounded drive.” She admitted that some works still have room for improvement in script structure or technical execution, but emphasized that the sincerity of these creators—unafraid of imperfection and courageous in expression—is most precious.

Tsang Fung-chi, veteran animation director and preliminary jury member for the Animation Category and Tertiary Category (Animation), described the works in this category as diverse in style and subject matter. He noted that local works, heavily influenced by Japanese anime, have significantly improved in cinematography and action scene handling, while overseas works focus more on humanistic concerns, delve deeper into human nature, and offer more compelling narratives. “Some works are deeply moving. I look forward to seeing even more outstanding works at ifva in the near future.”

Leung Hok-pin, artist, curator, and cultural studies scholar serving as preliminary jury member for the AI Creation Category, stated that the entries demonstrate how AI technology opens up new cinematic aesthetics and narrative methods. What is most noteworthy is not merely the application of technology itself, but how creators gradually establish unique visual languages through AI. Many works transform the uncertainty and atypical qualities inherent in AI-generated processes into creative advantages, prompting profound reflections on authorship, human-machine collaboration, and the future development of visual creation, showcasing the rich potential of this emerging medium.

17 awards to be presented at the awards ceremony, sharing competition outcomes with creators and industry professionals

The 30th ifva Independent Short Film and Media Arts Competition Awards Ceremony will be held on October 24, 2026, at the Louis Koo Cinema, Hong Kong Arts Centre. A total of 17 awards will be presented, including 8 Best Works Awards (one winner per category), 8 Special Recognition Awards (2–3 winners per category), and 1 Professional Mentorship Program Award (3 winners), recognizing 30 winning teams to honor this year’s outstanding visual creations. Creators, industry representatives, and jurors will gather to witness the emergence of a new generation of exceptional visual creators.

New “Professional Mentorship Program” successfully launched, offering one-on-one guidance to local emerging talents

This year, ifva introduces a new “Professional Mentorship Program” exclusively for local participants, spanning approximately two months and successfully launched in early September. Mentors include Chan Siu-kuen, winner of the Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Director for “Still Human”; Fung Wai-sze, producer and line producer for numerous emerging directors’ films; and animation director Ho Lai. They will provide one-on-one professional guidance to three selected participants: Leung Tsz-tung (Open Category), Wong Pak-san (Youth Category), and Ng Tin-lek and Wong Chung-him (Animation Category). The mentorship covers not only their competition entries but also their past works and future creative plans, broadening their creative horizons and encouraging continuous storytelling through visual media.

30th ifva Independent Short Film and Media Arts Festival to screen this year’s outstanding works

Additionally, the 30th ifva Independent Short Film and Media Arts Festival will take place from October 9 to October 23, 2026, screening over 70 shortlisted works from this year’s ifva competition, showcasing the creativity and potential of these emerging creators and allowing their talents to be seen, while injecting vitality into contemporary independent visual creation. In addition to screenings of short films and animations, a series of seminars and extended activities will be held simultaneously, exploring the boundless possibilities of independent visual creation from different perspectives and promoting interaction and exchange between creators and audiences. Tickets for the 30th ifva Independent Short Film and Media Arts Festival screenings will be available for purchase from September 22, 2026, via art-mate (https://www.art-mate.net/doc/100055).

First collaboration with Korean short film streaming platform MovieBloc for online film festival, connecting Asian visuals with global audiences

To bring more outstanding Hong Kong and Asian works to global audiences, this year’s ifva collaborates with the Korean short film streaming platform MovieBloc, dedicated to providing independent filmmakers with exhibition and distribution opportunities, to launch an online screening initiative. From September 14 to September 27, 2026, over two weeks, audiences can access a designated link to freely watch 16 award-winning short films and animations from the Open, Youth, Animation, and Asia New Talents categories of the 28th and 29th ifva competitions, experiencing the unique narratives and artistic styles of Hong Kong and Asian creators. This collaboration further demonstrates ifva’s mission to promote independent visual creation and nurture emerging creators, transcending geographical boundaries through online platforms to connect creators with global audiences and foster cross-regional cultural exchange and visual dialogue.

28th and 29th ifva Online Screening Initiative
Dates: September 14–27, 2026
Viewing Link: https://www.moviebloc.com/event/IFVA2829/zh

30th ifva Independent Short Film and Media Arts Festival – Screening of Shortlisted Works
Dates: October 9–23, 2026
Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Ground Floor, Hong Kong Arts Centre
Screening Details:

(1) Screening Program 1: Shortlisted Works from the Open Category, 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 9, 2026 (Friday)
Time: 7:30 PM

(2) Screening: Shortlisted Works from the Tertiary Category (Animation), 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 10, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 3:00 PM

(3) Screening Program 2: Shortlisted Works from the Open Category, 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 10, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 7:30 PM

(4) Screening Program 1: Shortlisted Works from the Animation Category, 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 11, 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 2:00 PM

(5) Screening Program 2: Shortlisted Works from the Animation Category, 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 11, 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 4:00 PM

(6) Screening Program 1: Shortlisted Works from the Asia New Talents Category, 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 11, 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 7:30 PM

(7) Screening Program 1: Shortlisted Works from the Hong Kong and Overseas Tertiary Category (Short Films), 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 16, 2026 (Friday)
Time: 7:30 PM

(8) Screening Program 2: Shortlisted Works from the Hong Kong and Overseas Tertiary Category (Short Films), 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 17, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 3:00 PM

(9) Screening Program 3: Shortlisted Works from the Hong Kong and Overseas Tertiary Category (Short Films), 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 17, 2026 (Saturday)
Time: 7:30 PM

(10) Screening: Shortlisted Works from the Youth Category, 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 18, 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 3:00 PM

(11) Screening Program 4: Shortlisted Works from the Hong Kong and Overseas Tertiary Category (Short Films), 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 18, 2026 (Sunday)
Time: 7:30 PM

(12) Screening: Shortlisted Works from the AI Creation Category, 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 19, 2026 (Monday)
Time: 7:30 PM

(13) Screening Program 2: Shortlisted Works from the Asia New Talents Category, 30th ifva Competition
Date: October 23, 2026 (Friday)
Time: 7:30 PM

*No reserved seating

Ticket Prices:
Standard Ticket: HKD 85 per ticket
Concession Ticket: HKD 68 per ticket, available to:

- Friends of Hong Kong Arts Centre, full-time students, seniors aged 60 or above, persons with disabilities and their caregivers, and CSSA recipients
- Purchasers of 4 or more standard tickets at once

Purchase Method:
Available for purchase from September 22, 2026, via art-mate (https://www.art-mate.net/doc/100055)

30th ifva Independent Short Film and Media Arts Festival – Seminars
Dates: October 19 and October 22, 2026
Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Ground Floor, Hong Kong Arts Centre

Details:
Seminar (1) - The Future Ecosystem of Artificial Intelligence and Independent Cinema
Date: October 19, 2026 (Monday)
Time: 3:30 PM

Seminar (2) - Future Development Directions for Short Films and Independent Filmmakers
Date: October 22, 2026 (Thursday)
Time: 7:30 PM

*Free registration

*No reserved seating

Registration Method: Free registration available from September 22, 2026, via art-mate (https://www.art-mate.net/doc/100145)

30th ifva Independent Short Film and Media Arts Competition Awards Ceremony
Date: October 24, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Venue: Louis Koo Cinema, Ground Floor, Hong Kong Arts Centre
Note: By invitation only