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Panda Vision International Film Festival for talented youth,

hosted by the Cogdel School Chengdu

Official Regulations

Introduction

The Panda Vision International Film Festival (PVIFF) was founded in 2025 at Cogdel School Chengdu, Sichuan, China. Born out of a passion for storytelling, creativity, and cultural exchange, the festival was designed to give middle and high school filmmakers a global platform to showcase their cinematic vision. The name “Panda Vision” pays tribute to Sichuan’s most iconic symbol, the giant panda - representing curiosity, creativity, and global connection.

Mission

Since its founding, PVIFF has focused on nurturing the next generation of storytellers by:

  • Providing an international stage for student films.

  • Encouraging cross-cultural dialogue through cinema.

  • Supporting young filmmakers with workshops, panel discussions, and professional feedback

  • Celebrating innovation across diverse film categories: Narrative, Documentary, Experimental, and Animation

Film Festival Organizing Committee

Cogdel School Chengdu

The period and location of the film festival are determined annually and are indicated in the rules section of the official website. Please note that there is no separate appendix; all relevant information can be found in the rules on the website.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the competition, filmmakers must meet the following requirements:

  1. Be 19 years of age or younger at the time of their film's production.

  2. Be enrolled in middle school or high school at the time of production.

Please note: College and university students are not permitted to participate.

Conditions of participation

Authors and/or owners of films wishing to participate in the festival must complete and submit an application to the Festival Organizing Committee in the prescribed manner. By submitting the application, the author and/or owner consents to the screening of their film as part of the Final Round of the Festival.

 

Films submitted to the festival for competition must adhere to the duration limits specified for each category. Films must have been completed no earlier than January 1, 2025, and submitted to the Festival Organizing Committee before January 24, 2027. Films produced more than three years prior to the festival may be considered for competition only if such eligibility is explicitly stated in the rules section of the official website. Otherwise, such films will not be accepted.

 

An author and/or owner may submit no more than two films for participation in the festival program.

 

All films must be in their original languages and subtitled in English or Chinese.

 

Participants agree that the Festival Organizing Committee reserves the right to screen the submitted film at any festival-related events without any remuneration. Refusal to participate in the Final Round will result in the film's exclusion from the festival competition program.

 

The selection of films for the festival is conducted by the Selection Committee, which has the final authority to decide on the inclusion of a film in the Festival Competition Screenings. Films that do not pass the competitive selection process will not be considered further.

Categories

All films (national and international) may be submitted into only one of the following categories:

   - Narrative Film: Any narrative live-action film. Fictional works (drama, comedy, etc.) between 3-12 minutes in length.

   - Documentary Film: Short-form documentaries (5-15 minutes) addressing local or global issues.

   - Experimental Film: Non-traditional storytelling that pushes the boundaries of form and content. Any film under 10 minutes that does not fit the mold of typical filmmaking.

   - Animation film: This category welcomes original animated short films with a maximum duration of 10 minutes. Please note that films created by artificial intelligence (AI) are not permitted.

 

Note: public service announcements, commercials, and film trailers are not eligible for consideration in any category.

PVIFF 2027 Competition Sections & Awards

International Competition:

  • Best Narrative Film

  • Best Documentary Film

  • Best Experimental Film

  • Best Animation Film

 

National Competition:

  • Best Narrative Film

  • Best Documentary Film

  • Best Experimental Film

  • Best Animation Film

 

Special Achievement Awards:

  • Best Editing

  • Best Director

  • Best Performance

  • Best Acting

 

Grand Prize – Awarded to the best film in the festival's competition section.

Grand Jury Prize – Awarded to the second-best film in the festival's competition section.

Audience Choice Award – Selected by audience vote.

Best Social Impact Film – Honors a film that uses cinema to explore social, environmental, or community issues and inspire reflection.

Best Storytelling Award – Celebrates outstanding writing and powerful storytelling.

Special Jury Recommendation: Most Promising Filmmaker – Special recognition to a young filmmaker with exceptional promise and unique talent.

Participant Support

PVIFF is committed to offering a welcoming and well-supported experience for all official selections.

  • International Participants: Receive visa invitation letters and shuttle service from Chengdu airports (CTU/TFU) and main train stations.

  • Domestic Participants: Complimentary scheduled shuttle service from downtown Chengdu, Chengdu airports (CTU/TFU) and main train stations.

Accommodation & Meals

For all shortlisted filmmakers, PVIFF will provide:

  • 2 nights hotel accommodation in Anren Old Town (35 km from Chengdu, near the festival venue).

  • Accommodation is limited to:

2 domestic participants per selected film (1 hotel room).

4 international participants maximum per selected film (2 hotel rooms).

  • All meals provided in Cogdel School Chengdu canteen throughout the festival.

*The Panda Vision International Film Festival (PVIFF) will not cover transportation expenses (such as air, train, or bus tickets) to and from Chengdu, nor accommodation outside the official festival dates. All participants are responsible for covering these expenses themselves.

Guests and Media

Media outlets wishing to cover the festival must submit an application for correspondent accreditation to the Festival Organizing Committee. Deadlines for submitting accreditation applications are determined annually and detailed in the Appendix to these Regulations.

An accreditation card grants media representatives access to all events held as part of the festival.

The Festival Organizing Committee is responsible for handling the invitation of special guests, including the terms and conditions of their stay and their accreditation.

Jury

A jury is invited to professionally evaluate the films in the competition programs. The jury comprises professional directors, playwrights, producers, distributors, cinematographers, actors, editors, and other qualified specialists in the field of cinema. Notably, the festival jury does not have a chairman.

All jury members agree to refrain from making public statements about the competition films until the festival's closing ceremony.

Final Provisions

Participation in the Festival requires agreement with all articles of this Regulation and compliance with all points of this Regulation. In the event of any disputes arising under the Regulation, the text of this Regulation shall be taken as the basis for their resolution.

For further information, please contact Festival Organizing Committee

+86 188 9260 4470

info.gpff@cogdel.com

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