Chongqing Youth Film Project unites global youth

The launching ceremony of this year's Looking China - Youth Film Project was held on Friday at Southwest University in Chongqing.

Looking China project, an annual event co-hosted by the Huilin Foundation and the Academy for International Communication of Chinese Culture of Beijing Normal University since 2011, aims to present Chinese culture to the world through the eyes of young foreign filmmakers and promote communication between young generations in China and overseas.

"So far, 951 short films by 1,009 youths from 102 countries have been created," said Gao Feng, executive dean of the Academy for International Communication of Chinese Culture at Beijing Normal University.

According to Long Wei, dean of the School of Journalism and Communication at Southwest University, this year also marks the seventh year of the project's landing in Chongqing.

From April 27 to May 2, filming will be carried out in Chongqing's Qijiang, Dazu, Yubei, Changshou, Jiangjin, Hechuan, Rongchang and Beibei districts. After a post-production and review, a film screening ceremony will be held in Southwest University on May 10.

"As we embark on our journey to Chongqing, a city renowned for its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes, we are filled with a sense of anticipation and wonder," said Effimia Anagnostidou, a director representative from Greece, at the launch ceremony. "This project stands as a testament to the power of cultural exchange and artistic expression."

On Saturday, the first group embarked on a filmmaking journey at the Qijiang Farmers' Printmaking Institute in Qijiang district.

Originated from woodblock New Year prints and murals during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and having thrived in the 1980s, Qijiang farmer's printmaking is now an intangible cultural heritage of the city.

Dimitrios Georgios Koutsiampasakos, film directing professor from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki of Greece, who is supervising all 10 directors — seven from Greece and three from Russia — said he hopes the young filmmakers can delve deeper into the interesting topics they have chosen, to be involved and to convey their perspectives through the art form.