NEWHER Workshop Completes "Two-Way Matching" with Five Shortlisted Directors and Production Mentors
As a dedicated platform empowering emerging female directors, the NEWHER Women-Focused Section at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) has set sail once again under the theme "Forging silver-screen dreams, unleashing feminine dynamism". Building on the success of its previous two editions, NEWHER has received a major strategic upgrade this year. Alongside its established programs, NEWHER has introduced new contents such as the "Annual Women-Focused Film Selection" and the Women-Focused Film Section Screenings. With a more inclusive spirit, the section embraces the full spectrum of "female perspectives", unlocking fresh possibilities for women's storytelling and helping young women directors shine on the global stage.
At the heart of the BJIFF's Women-Focused Film Section is the NEWHER Workshop, which has been significantly enhanced this year. The program now focuses on developing feature-length projects centered on women's themes, using concept films as a hands-on tool for creative exploration. Since the call for submissions opened on November 3, 2025, the workshop has drawn strong interest: 64 young female creators from across China submitted 67 diverse project proposals. Themes of "women", "family", and "love" proved especially popular, while innovative elements such as "road trips", "soft sci-fi", and "magical realism" highlighted the bold imagination and artistic daring of these female filmmakers.
This year's workshop preliminary review panel consists of eight senior industry professionals: Sui Shanshan, Li Yan, Yan Ziling, Liu Ruifen, Li Bingqing, Zhang Yingying, Zhang Chao, and Cai Chenghan. Adhering to the principles of professionalism, fairness, and transparency, the jury conducted rigorous and meticulous reviews and discussions, ultimately selecting 20 high-quality projects to advance to the preliminary round.
Group Photo of the Preliminary Review Panel
The list of the 20 shortlisted projects is as follows (in alphabetical order by surname):
This year's workshop is organized by the BJIFF Organizing Committee, with support from the Beijing Film Academy and the UNESCO Chair on Cinematic Arts and Cultural Diversity, and co-organized by the Beijing Film Academy Teaching Practice Center. Five accomplished female producers -Tian Tian, Fan Xia, Liang Lin, Li Yaping, and Zhang Meng - have been invited as production mentors. Drawing on their extensive industry experience and keen professional insight, they will provide hands-on guidance throughout project development, script refinement, and production, helping the directors explore innovative approaches to women-centered narratives and achieve greater artistic impact.
The 20 shortlisted directors from the preliminary review met with the five production mentors of the workshop for in-depth discussions. Each director presented her project, and the production mentors evaluated them based on criteria such as creative potential, project compatibility, and overall presentation. Through open dialogue and mutual selection, five director-mentor pairs were formed, paving the way for the next phase: concept film production.
Workshop Production Mentors and Five Shortlisted Directors of the 16th BJIFF's NEWHER Women-Focused Section
Mentor Fan Xia (left) and Director Huang Ziye (right)
Huang Ziye
Huang Ziye graduated with a bachelor's degree in Film from Columbia College in the United States. She earned a master's degree in Feature Film Directing from the Department of Directing of the Beijing Film Academy. Her short films as director and screenwriter have screened at major festivals, including the BJIFF, Hainan Island International Film Festival, HiShorts!, and Aranya Waves Film Festival. She has also worked as an assistant director on projects featured at Locarno, Pingyao, Clermont-Ferrand, and the Student Academy Awards.
Mentor Li Yaping (left) and Director Ding Sa (right)
Ding Sa
Ding Sa graduated from Beijing Film Academy's Animation School. After working as an art director and costume designer in film, television, and advertising, she transitioned to screenwriting and directing. Her original project The Black Sheep was selected for the 18th FIRST Financing Forum's annual Finalist Projects, where it earned FIRST Mart Navigator Special Recommend award. Her original mini-series project The Black Sheep was chosen for the 2025 FIRST Fantastic Film Festival.
Mentor Liang Lin (left) and Director Qu Yi (right)
Qu Yi
Qu Yi holds an MFA in Film Directing from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She has worked for years in the film, television, and advertising industry as a screenwriter and director. She has won multiple awards: top five in the 2022 Short Film Project for Female Directors, Best Short Film at the Los Angeles Film Awards (LAFA), Best Comedy Short at the TFF New York Film Festival, Best Narrative and Most Promising Filmmaker at the CineCina Film Festival (a New York festival of Chinese films), and the Silver Remi Award at the 50th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival.
Mentor Tian Tian (right) and Director Wen Jing (left)
Wen Jing
Wen Jing graduated in Filmmaking from the London Film School and earned a master's in Documentary Anthropology from University College London (UCL). Her directorial short A Moonlit Night screened in the Short Film Corner at Cannes and the Main Competition Narrative Shorts at HiShorts!. Her sound design work has been shortlisted for the main competition at the 19th FIRST International Film Festival and the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Influenced by magical realism, she blends documentary and fiction in her creative work, exploring the boundary between dreams and reality from a female perspective and through poetic storytelling, with a focus on the spiritual resonance between individuals and nature.
Mentor Zhang Meng (right) and Director Shi Yifan (left)
Shi Yifan
Shi Yifan, a young art director and director, is currently studying at Communication University of China Nanjing. Projects she has contributed to have been selected for the China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, 86358 JIA VILLAGE Short Film Festival, etc., and have been featured in multiple sections of the BJIFF for four consecutive years. In 2025, she was also accepted into the training camps of both the BJIFF and the FIRST International Film Festival.
To provide comprehensive support for the young directors, this year's workshop has specially invited a team of seasoned industry professionals to serve as advisors. Among them, Xiong Ying, Special Invited Council Member of the China Foundation for Human Rights Development (under the oversight of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China) and an experienced producer and executive producer, continues to act as the section's chief planner. Li Ran, Deputy Director of the Teaching Practice Center at Beijing Film Academy and an associate professor and master's supervisor in the School of Management, acts as the section's advisor. Shen Shen, curator of the CFDG Young Shoot Project's "Before Becoming a Director" project and a veteran film and television producer and agent, acts as the section's curator.
The 16th BJIFF's NEWHER Women-Focused Section Workshop focuses on young female directors, bringing together "her power" to explore new directions in the art of cinema. More eagerly anticipated special guests will be revealed in the future - stay tuned!