On September 20, 2024, the launch ceremony of the 6th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) "Young Coconut Project" Venture Training Camp was held in Beijing. He Song, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Sanya Media & Film Group, delivered a speech at the launch ceremony, extending warm congratulations to the creative teams of the projects that successfully advanced to the Top 15, and encouraging young filmmakers to actively come to Hainan Island to create and shoot, jointly promoting the development of China's film industry.
On September 20, 2024, the launch ceremony of the workshop for the 6th HIIFF "Young Coconut Project" Venture Training Camp was held in Beijing. He Song, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Sanya Media & Film Group; Xu Wenjun, General Manager of Sanya Jin椰海 Film Co., Ltd.; and Zhao Xin, Head of Strategic Investment Department of Sanya Media & Film Group attended the event. Representatives of the creative teams of the Top 15 projects were also present to participate in the launch ceremony and the subsequent workshop activities.
He Song, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Sanya Media & Film Group; Xu Wenjun, General Manager of Sanya Jin椰海 Film Co., Ltd.; Zhao Xin, Head of Strategic Investment Department of Sanya Media & Film Group
At the launch ceremony, Mr. He Song, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Sanya Media & Film Group, delivered a speech. He recalled the invitation extended by Wang Bin, Member of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and Minister of Propaganda, to creators across the industry at the 5th HIIFF in 2023: the "Shoot in Hainan, Shoot Hainan" initiative aims to leverage Hainan's "natural studio" and the free trade port's preferential policies to provide creators with new fertile ground for creation, allowing Hainan's unique charm to blossom on the big screen.
This year, HIIFF hopes to convey Hainan's expectations to young creators through the "Young Coconut Project." Discovering young talent, encouraging contemporary creation, and providing effective support are the goals of HIIFF in creating the "Young Coconut Project." The name "Young Coconut Project" further embodies HIIFF's high hopes for young filmmakers, hoping that young creators will use Hainan as a backdrop to tell their own stories and unleash their creative passion.
He Song, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Sanya Media & Film Group
He Song pointed out that HIIFF is still very young and has also undergone a process of "renewal." Starting from the 5th edition in 2023, HIIFF changed its organizing entity to Sanya Jin椰海 Film Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sanya Media & Film Group. Under the state-owned entity, HIIFF has resolved legacy issues and is moving towards a more standardized and orderly direction, providing a solid platform for filmmakers and boosting the film industry in China and around the world.
Xing Tianyu, Chief Operations Coordinator of the 6th HIIFF, sequentially introduced the attending guests and leaders, expressed gratitude to industry partners Hualin Imaging, Haoshi Gouying, and Zhongshi Chenyang, as well as Hainan cultural tourism supporters Haifeng International Film and Television Base, Wanning Riyue Bay, Sanya Ends of the Earth Tourism Development Co., Ltd., and Hainan Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone. He also specially introduced Mr. Cui Liming from Beijing Hualin Imaging Art Co., Ltd. and Ms. Wang Jing from Beijing Haoshi Gouying Digital Technology Co., Ltd., who attended the launch ceremony.
Xing Tianyu specifically mentioned the original concept behind the creation of the "Young Coconut Project": the desire to provide opportunities and assistance to creators as directly and effectively as possible. Ideas such as "using short films as a stepping stone," "using short film works as a creator's resume," "opportunities to start shooting immediately," "industry veterans offering hands-on guidance rather than just serving as judges," and "truly experiencing Hainan" gradually evolved into the core philosophy of the "Young Coconut Project."
At the end of the launch ceremony, Wang Yunyi, Head of the "Young Coconut Project" Venture Training Camp, provided a detailed introduction to the Top 15 shortlisted projects and briefly outlined the overall schedule for the subsequent activities of the "Young Coconut Project" Venture Training Camp.
During the morning's "Hualin Imaging Film Color Grading Sharing Session," colorist Gao Ming introduced the key aspects of post-production color grading for films to the trainees of the "Young Coconut Project" Venture Training Camp. Meanwhile, she shared valuable experience on combining pre-production and post-production color grading, and conducted a meticulous frame-by-frame analysis for the trainees by comparing the images before and after adjustments.
The second morning session, "Haoshi Gouying Full-Process Post-Production Management Sharing," featured Ning Jialin, Chief Operations Coordinator of Haoshi Gouying, discussing the pain points and solutions of post-production management in film and television with the trainees. Ning Jialin shared problems encountered in actual work and provided detailed answers to questions from young directors and producers, covering various aspects such as DIT workflows, visual effects production, sound production, and file management.
In the afternoon, Li Xiaofeng, mentor of the "Young Coconut Project" Venture Training Camp, shared his creative experience focusing on "short film and feature film production." He emphasized that passion is the starting point of creation, encouraging young directors to return to the source of their creation, deeply reflect on their creative motives, and express their emotions and thoughts in their own unique ways. He pointed out that some domestic short film creations lack an aggressive edge, and he expects young directors to create works with greater impact and emotional resonance.
Director Li Xiaofeng also shared the production process of his previous three films and his experiences facing the market and audiences, strongly emphasizing the importance of collaborating with professional producers. Subsequently, he discussed how to engage the audience's emotions through short films, how to maintain the audience's empathy for the characters, and how to enhance the suspense of the film. Finally, Li Xiaofeng interacted with the young filmmakers present, responding to their creative confusions.
Next, the creators of the Top 15 projects will continue to participate in the "Young Coconut Project" workshops in Beijing and Hainan, where they will engage in face-to-face discussions with mentors, receive professional guidance across multiple dimensions including directing, producing, screenwriting, editing, and acting, and have the opportunity to visit Hainan for field research. Following the workshops, the Top 15 shortlisted projects will enter the final pitch session, and the ultimately selected Top 8 short film projects will receive 120,000 RMB in funding to complete subsequent filming and production.
