Gingko Youth Film Festival 2027

About Gingko Youth Film Festival

Gingko Youth Film Festival is hosted by The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University and is connected to the Youth Filmmakers Growth Program developed with the Beijing International Film Festival · College Student Film Festival.

The festival focuses on youth filmmaking and film education, giving young directors a space to present work, exchange ideas and take part in screenings, discussions and filmmaking activities.

For international filmmakers, eligibility is defined through the director’s age and nationality route.

Who Can Enter the International Competition?

For the 2027 edition, every director and co-director must be under 19 on 1 January 2027.

When at least one director or co-director is not a Chinese national, the film enters through the International Short Film Competition.

The age requirement applies to directors and co-directors. Eligible films must have been completed after 1 January 2025.

Gingko Youth Film Festival 2027 Dates and Deadline

The 2nd Gingko Youth Film Festival takes place in Beijing from 26 to 30 April 2027.

The final submission deadline is 1 January 2027, with selection notifications scheduled for 20 February 2027.

International Short Film Competition

The International Short Film Competition is the submission route for films with at least one non-Chinese director or co-director.

The International Short Film Competition follows the runtime conditions published in its live competition listing.

International entries require embedded English subtitles. Films in languages other than English also require a separate English subtitle file.

Technical Submission Requirements

Films should be prepared as MP4 or MOV files with a minimum resolution of 1920×1080 Full HD.

Audio should be stereo, balanced and free of distortion. Adapted work should clearly credit its source, with the necessary rights secured for all submitted material.

Current Award Route

The International Short Film Competition includes the Best International Short Film — Gingko Award, carrying a current cash prize of 3,000 RMB.

The five Gingko Award winners across the main competition categories also compete for the Golden Gingko Award, with a current cash prize of 5,000 RMB.

What Happens After Selection?

Outstanding films may be screened during the 34th College Student Film Festival and presented in schools across China.

Selected directors and creative teams may also join post-screening discussions, filmmaking workshops and related festival activities as part of the festival programme.

Positioning a Youth Film for Gingko

Gingko is especially relevant to projects where the young director’s authorship is clear while teachers, mentors or adult crew support the production process.

For youth projects, the practical checks are director age, nationality route, completion date, subtitle readiness, technical delivery and copyright clearance.

AD1 FILM can review these elements and position a completed film within a wider youth-film festival strategy based on verified eligibility and submission readiness.