The 8th Hainan Island International Film Festival (HIIFF) will be held in December 2026 in Sanya, Hainan Province.
Currently, the "Young Coconut Project" Venture Training Camp is open for recruitment to Chinese-language creators, with a submission deadline of 24:00, September 20, 2026.
Please register and apply through the HIIFF official website (www.hiiff.net) under the "Young Coconut Project" section.
Founded in 2024, the "Young Coconut Project" has continuously incubated over ten short film projects and facilitated their subsequent development and market implementation. The incubated projects have won numerous honors at domestic and international film festivals, fully establishing and consolidating the brand IP influence of the "Young Coconut Project".
In 2026, the "Young Coconut Project" will focus on the Venture Training Camp model. By incubating short film projects based on feature film concepts, it aims to discover creators with versatile skills and genre potential, further nurturing the possibilities for young creators' feature film development. It will continue to leverage Hainan's local cultural resources, encouraging Hainan-themed subjects, filming in Hainan, discovering Hainan filmmakers, and supporting Hainan productions, thereby promoting the coordinated development of the festival's talent reserve and Hainan's cultural tourism industry.
Applications for the Venture Training Camp are open from today. We look forward to your creations taking root and growing amidst the coconut groves, bearing rich fruits of light and shadow.
Eligibility
1. The submitted project for the Training Camp must be a short film (estimated duration of 15 minutes) and must not have commenced shooting;
2. The project must have at least one key creative (director, screenwriter, or producer) of Chinese nationality, and the primary dialogue language must be Chinese;
3. The project must have a confirmed director and producer; both the director and the producer must have each fully completed at least one short film work.
Application Materials
(I) Required Materials
1. Story synopsis and director's statement;
2. Complete short film script;
3. Detailed outline of the feature film sharing the same concept;
4. Director's resume and works, producer's resume and works (please attach links to the submitted film works within the document).
(II) Optional Materials
1. Project proposal (including resumes and works of other key creatives, production plan, visual references, etc.);
2. Any 30 consecutive scenes of the script for the feature film sharing the same concept;
3. Other relevant materials.
Application Method▼
1. Applications are accepted online. Please visit the HIIFF official website at https://www.hiiff.net/ to register and log in to your account, then click the "Film Industry - Young Coconut Project" channel to apply;
2. Fill in the information and submit as required; please ensure the contact information provided is authentic and valid;
3. After submission, the staff will review and confirm the completeness of the materials. Once approved, the "Young Coconut Project Application Information" will show as "Application Approved";
4. The Organizing Committee reserves the right to disqualify any works that violate the national laws and cultural policies of China;
5. Application Fees:
From now until August 28, 2026, early bird rate of RMB 200 per project;
From August 29, 2026 to September 20, 2026, regular rate of RMB 400 per project.
Shortlist Benefits▼
1. Representatives of the Top 15 short film projects will be invited to participate in the mentor workshop and the final pitching event;
2. The final Top 6 short films will receive financial support of RMB 100,000 per film (pre-tax) and related industry resource support for film production. The funding will be disbursed in installments based on the actual production milestones of the film;
3. Representatives of the shortlisted short film projects will participate in mentor evaluations, pitching events, and official festival activities as creators of the HIIFF "Young Coconut Project" Venture Training Camp, enjoying corresponding privileges;
4. The shortlisted short film projects will receive centralized official promotion by the HIIFF;
5. Upon completion of filming, the shortlisted short film projects will have the opportunity to engage in negotiations with investors, distributors, and programmers invited by the festival.
If you have any questions, please contact us via email
industry@hiiff.net
For more application and shortlisting rules
Please visit the HIIFF official website
www.hiiff.net
*The HIIFF Organizing Committee reserves the right of final interpretation
