On the afternoon of December 5, 2025, the Southeast Asian Youth Image Screening Event of the 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) officially kicked off at the Mangrove 1+X Cinema of the Mangrove Tree Resort World Convention Center in Sanya Bay.
This event is jointly hosted by Hainan Normal University and the Hainan International Cultural Exchange Center, and co-organized by multiple universities including the School of Journalism and Communication and Film of Hainan Normal University, the Southeast Asian Film and Television Culture Research Center of the Free Trade Port International Communication Research Institute of Hainan Normal University, the Hainan Film and Television Association, the School of Humanities and Communication of Sanya University, the School of Literature of Qiongtai Normal University, and the School of Nanhai Art and Technology of Haikou University of Economics. It will also hold touring screenings at various universities. Using youth cinema as a bond, the event aims to deepen film and television cultural exchange and mutual learning of civilizations between China and Southeast Asian countries.
In her speech, Li Jiaohui, Director of the Film Division of the Publicity Department of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee, detailed multiple support measures for film and television creation introduced by the Free Trade Port. She emphasized that young filmmakers are the future of the industry, and Hainan has introduced multiple support policies, including creation awards and the "Shoot in Hainan, Shoot Hainan" initiative, to fully safeguard the cinematic dreams of the youth. She encouraged young creators to root themselves in the era and the local context, producing works that combine regional characteristics with humanistic reflections. Furthermore, she expressed her hope that this event would serve as a bridge and an opportunity to further deepen exchange and cooperation between the Chinese and Southeast Asian film and television industries, enabling more outstanding youth cinematic works to cross mountains and seas and reach broader stages.
Li Jiaohui, Director of the Film Division of the Publicity Department of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee
In his speech, Zhang Guotao, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese College Film and Television Association, first reviewed the development of the association since its establishment. He also expressed his anticipation for establishing cooperation with the HIIFF, hoping that through platform synergy and resource sharing, they could jointly carve out a broader space for the cultivation, screening, and dissemination of youth cinema.
Zhang Guotao, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese College Film and Television Association
In his speech, Dean Qing Zhijun pointed out that the school's hosting of the Southeast Asian Youth Image Screening Event is a cultural feast that transcends mountains and seas, as well as a vivid practice of the school's mission of "cultural mutual learning." He introduced that this event collected over 200 youth cinematic works and ultimately selected 9 outstanding titles, which will be showcased in a five-day touring screening across five major universities in Hainan. Special segments such as "Face-to-Face with Creators" and "Academic Dialogues" have been set up during the event, aiming to build a platform for cooperation and exchange between young filmmakers from China and Southeast Asia.
Qing Zhijun, Dean of the School of Journalism and Communication and Film, Hainan Normal University
A total of eight mentors participated in the final judging session: Wang Haizhou, Professor at the Beijing Film Academy and Dean of the Chinese Film School Research Institute; Zhang Guotao, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese College Film and Television Association; Cheng Ke, National First-Class Director; Lin Qing, Chairperson of the Hainan Film and Television Association; Malaysian director Yan Yongqi; renowned Singaporean screenwriter Xu Shengliang; Laotian female film director Mattie Do; and Malaysian Prime Minister's Award recipient Tony Zeng. The mentors delivered messages to the young filmmakers and presented screening certificates during the event.
The works selected for screening include: Bemne Ferry directed by Dong Cheng, Summer of the Bee Tiger directed by Liu Wenbo and Wu Xinyu, Useless directed by Wu Yuyao, Night Driving to the City directed by Chen Peng and Zhao Wenhe, An Ant Trying to Shake a Tree directed by Chen Yiyun, Amulet directed by Hao Yi, Grandma Knows directed by Tang Mingjun, Flowers Bloom and Wither directed by She Yanting, and Unfinished Land directed by Ruan Zhongyi.
Themed "Inside the Viewfinders of Young Directors," the post-screening session was hosted by Xu Jing, Associate Professor at the School of Journalism and Communication and Film of Hainan Normal University, and featured a three-way dialogue among final judging mentors, young creators, and academic representatives. Liu Wenbo and Wu Xinyu, directors of Summer of the Bee Tiger, along with Wu Yuyao, director of Useless, and producer Li Xiaoli, attended the event in person. They engaged in in-depth exchanges with the audience, sharing the sources of inspiration and creative journeys behind their works. Drawing on their own creative experiences and industry observations, the mentors shared their insights on China-Southeast Asia film and television cooperation and the growth of young filmmakers, jointly outlining a future blueprint for cross-cultural collaboration.
The Maoyan ticketing section for the 7th HIIFF is now online. Tickets for films in the Competition Section and the Screening Section are now available. Please click below to enter the mini-program and purchase tickets. The Coconut Island film rendezvous awaits you.
