2nd edition
March 26th - 27th, 2026
Panda Vision Film Festival for talented youth,
hosted by the Cogdel School Chengdu
Official Rules & Guidelines
PLEASE READ EVERYTHING BELOW
Please read through our submission criteria carefully.
Feel free to contact us at info.gpff@cogdel.com if you have a question or need clarification.
Festival Structure
- October 1st, 2025: Call for submissions
- October 2025 – February 2026: Film submission window open
- February 22nd, 2026: Deadline for film submission
- February 22nd, 2026 – March 5th, 2026: Selection process
- March 5th, 2026: Shortlist announcement
- March 25th-27th, 2026: "Panda Vision Film Festival", including screenings, workshop, and closing, opening and award ceremony
Categories
All films (national and international) may be submitted into only one of the following categories:
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- Narrative Film: Any narrative live-action film. Fictional works (drama, comedy, etc.) between 3–12 minutes in length.
- Documentary: 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.
Note: public service announcements, commercials, and film trailers are not eligible for consideration in any category.
Film Festival Organizing Committee
Cogdel School Chengdu
The period and location of the film festival is determined annually and is indicated in the Appendix to these Regulations.
Awards and Prizes
- Best Film in each category.
• BEST NARRATIVE
• BEST DOCUMENTARY
• BEST EXPERIMENTAL
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- SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS:
• BEST EDITING
• BEST DIRECTING
• BEST ACTING
• BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
- Grand Prize, awarded to the best film screened in competition at the festival.
- Grand Jury Prize, awarded to the second-best film screened in competition at the festival
- Audience Choice Award: Voted by attendees
Eligibility
The film’s director(s) must have been 18 years of age or younger at the time of production.
All films must be in original languages and subtitled in English/or Chinese.
Content Restrictions
All submitted films must adhere to strict content guidelines suitable for a school setting.
The following are strictly prohibited in any form:
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Tobacco use, including cigarettes, vaping, and other smoking-related imagery.
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Drugs and drug paraphernalia, including illegal substances and misuse of prescription medications.
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Alcohol consumption, advertising, or promotion of alcoholic beverages.
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Pornographic or sexually explicit content, including nudity and sexually suggestive scenes.
Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in disqualification from the festival. If a film contains material that may be considered inappropriate, the festival committee reserves the right to review and request edits before approval.
Film Submission Process
Online Application: Must be completed no later than 16:00pm Beijing time, February 22nd, 2026
Preferred Methods
For films: use any cloud storage drive (ex. Google Cloud, Baidu Disk, Dropbox)
Important Notice: The film must be available starting from the date of application submission and remain accessible for at least one year following the festival's closing date.
For applications: fill in the online application provided by Festival Organizing Committee.
Synopsis
The 3-line synopsis submitted with your online application will be used in the festival guide and promotional materials.
Please write an engaging and compelling description of your film. The PVFF reserves the right to edit synopses for length and grammar.
Notification
If your film is selected for the PVFF 2026, you will be notified via email on March 5th, 2026. Applicants whose films are not selected will also be notified by email. Please inform us if your email address changes and add info.gpff@cogdel.com to your safe sender list. Note that we often encounter issues with emails sent to school domains (e.g., .edu, .gov).
Whenever possible, please use a personal email address for your submission.
Screening Requirements
Films selected for the PVFF 2026 must provide an exhibition copy in Full-Resolution QuickTime format (ProRes 422 preferred). The exhibition copy must be received no later than March 9th, 2026. Please note that exhibition copies will not be returned.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release
I acknowledge and agree that, to the best of my knowledge, I am duly authorized to submit this film to PVFF and to grant permissions related to its use and distribution.
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I grant permission to PVFF to use film clips/stills for promotional use. I allow PVFF and any third parties at PVFF the right to film, videotape, and photograph my appearance and voice for any and all marketing and promotion of the festival.
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I understand I will be added to the PVFF email newsletter lists and receive email updates from PVFF. My name and email may also be shared with 3rd party partners. In both cases, I can always unsubscribe via the email footer.
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Submitting a film to PVFF constitutes an agreement by and between the filmmaker/representative, and/or applicable Parent/Guardian of a minor aged Filmmaker, and PVFF. By submitting, I agree to all of these rules, terms, and conditions. I also acknowledge that I will not receive any compensation for the use of my film by PVFF in accordance with the rules, terms, and conditions.
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I understand and acknowledge that, if I am under 18 years of age, my parent, or guardian must agree to the terms of this Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release on my behalf. As a Parent or Guardian of a minor filmmaker, if applicable, I understand and acknowledge that I am agreeing to the terms of this Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release on behalf of my child. For a child for whom I am a legally designated Guardian.
For further information, please contact Festival Organizing Committee
+86 188 9260 4470