About

Since its inception in 2006, FIRST International Film Festival (abbr. FIRST IFF) has been a film festival-style service platform in China, focusing on discovering and promoting young filmmakers and their early works. FIRST IFF advocates youth film culture, enriches artistic creation, intervenes in the ecological cycle of the film industry, and preserves the memory of contemporary film history. As an independent market-oriented platform with public responsibility, FIRST consistently injects fresh energy into the Chinese film industry, contributing to the sustainable development of the film ecosystem. The 19th FIRST International Film Festival will take place from July 20, 2025, to July 28, 2025, in Xining, Qinghai Province, People's Republic of China.

Competition Sections

FIRST IFF presents three competition sections:

▪ Main Competition

▪ FIRST FRAME

▪ FIRST PIONEER

Submission Guidelines

General Regulations

-Only films that have been submitted and registered can be considered for selection. -Film submission and registration are exclusively accepted online at https://www.firstfilm.org.cn/portal/form/submission/info

-Submissions to FIRST IFF are open to features (min. 60 minutes) and short films (max. 30 minutes incl. credits).

-Submitted film should be completed after January 1, 2024. -World premieres are prioritized across all sections; however, there is no minimum premiere status required for submission.

-For narrative features, the film should be among the director's first three independently directed narrative features. In the case of co-directed work, each of the directors must fulfill the condition.

-Films that have already been theatrical/online released in mainland China or have scheduled the release before the FIRST IFF festival dates are not eligible.

-Films, including any updated versions, which have been submitted to or publicly screened at previous FIRST IFF may not be accepted again.

Eligibility

To be considered for participation, a film must meet one of the following conditions:

▪ The director must be a citizen of the People's Republic of China (includingHong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan). In the case of co-directed work, one director's qualification is sufficient.

▪ The majority of the film's dialogues must be in the Chinese language (includingMandarin, Cantonese, and other dialects). Dubbed foreign-language films are not eligible.

▪ A minimum of 50% of the filming locations must be situated within the borders of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan).

▪ A minimum of 50% of the cast and crew, including the director, screenwriter, cinematographer, production designer, composer, editor, sound effects, main cast, and producer, must be citizens of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan).

Submission Deadline and Fee

The 19th FIRST IFF calls for entries from January 1, 2025. All submissions are closed at 24:00 of April 28, 2025, UTC+8.

Films will only be considered for selection after the processing fee is received. The processing fee varies according to the chosen deadline and film type

Materials to Upload

Preview Screener

FIRST IFF mandates a preview screener in the following format:

-MOV or MP4 in H.264 encoded video file.

-File size limited to 3G.

-Chinese and English subtitles must be embedded.

-The only acceptable watermark is “FIRST Preview” in the upper right corner of the frame. Kindly refrain from adding any other watermarks to ensure a proper film review by the jury.

The festival accepts work-in-progress preview copies with a minimum requirement of being picture-locked (no editing adjustments). The preview copy of the work-in-progress film must explicitly indicate incomplete parts at the beginning (e.g., pending music replacement, no color grading) using subtitles or intertitles. If selected, a screening version is required before July 1, 2025.

Still Photos and Director's Portrait

Three to five still photos of the submission and one director's portrait are required for submission. If you encounter technical problems that cannot be resolved during the uploading process, you may choose to send your materials to the organizing committee by other means, please contact submission@firstfilm.org.cn for details.

Source: firstfilm.org.cn