January 2026 brought a group of aspiring filmmakers to the 16th Beijing International Film Festival Project Pitches Training Camp. It wasn’t a casual exercise, but a real venture into the world of filmmaking. Every spark of creativity and every debate of ideas helped them grow. The times they wrestled with their own limits, and the glowing screens late in the dark, became permanent traces of the experience.
In those fifteen days, some produced 1,920-word course reflections, examining their takeaways and questions line by line. Some waited for their ideas to become real films; on the subway home, a birthday wish was made: may Chinese cinema keep getting better. These notes record those moments: of learning, of dreams, and of young people supporting each other through a winter journey.
A First Encounter in the First Snow
The first snowfall of 2026 arrived right on time - the first day of the training camp. Outside, white snow fluttered down; inside, new dreams were taking shape. Many trainees sat with people they knew, talking quietly in a reserved atmosphere. That silence carried doubt: about the path ahead, about their own direction, and about whether their scripts would ever be noticed. Still, they traveled from across the country to look for answers here.
At the 16th Beijing International Film Festival Project Pitches Training Camp
@Cinematography Team · Anonymous
"I pulled open the curtains, sunlight poured into the room, and before long it started to snow. My friend’s kitten, Huahua, sat with me by the window watching the snow. I stroked it, it leaned against me, and a beautiful day quietly began…In a winter this cold, where should we go from here? Perhaps living in the present and cherishing every chance to create matters more than anything. I hope to create a good film during this camp. On the subway back, I suddenly realized it was my birthday and made a quiet wish: I hope Chinese film keeps getting better - and that creators like us will be seen."
@Directing Team · Huang Wenli
"It’s so cold today. I haven’t been back to Beijing in a long time. I had been stressing about team arrangements, and sat there before class worrying I might let people down. But once the class started and Chen Shu and Zhang Yibo began speaking, I suddenly realized why I had come. Perhaps the goal isn’t only to make films, but to find people who share the same passion in a space like this. So the stress eased quite a bit. I’m glad we settled the team today. From now on we’ll give it our best."
Finding Their Rhythm
As trainees settled into the pace of the camp, the early confusion and distance slowly melted away. What followed were intense exchanges and resonance between creative ideas. With eight intensive sessions led by mentors, every day felt rich and full. During breaks, groups formed around the coffee tables, conversations often lasting until the final moment before class.
Group Photo of Trainees at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival Project Pitches Training Camp
@Director Team · Song Wenting
I loved Chen Shu’s idea that 'someone who isn’t obsessive enough cannot be the protagonist."
@Art Team · Chen Wendu
Thanks to Mr. Sun Li for the handbook and for his valuable stories about his work in art; thanks also to Ms. Liu Tianchi for her sincere answers and for sharing many practical tips on directing performances and communicating with actors. The three short films shown that evening had been on my watchlist for a long time, and finally catching them felt very fulfilling.
@Producer Team · Wang Xianhe
"I’ve always been curious about why even a short film can have multiple edits. Zhang Yibo explained that creating the first cut is much more difficult than refining later versions. As a producer, if I faced this situation, I would try to protect the editor’s creative work and work together to figure out how to move from version one to version two, rather than simply replacing the editor."
@Cinematography Team · Shi Haohang
"What Mr. Sun Li said about turning some of the 'myths' in a script into physical reality really resonated with me. To me, even the biggest themes and most abstract emotions must be rooted in real space and time to convince the audience."
@Cinematography Team · Anonymous
"Mr. Liao Ni mentioned that 'the viewpoint determines the soul of an image - it’s not just about technique, but also emotion and perspective.' That idea helped me greatly, and I’m very grateful for his sharing.
@Producer Team · Tian Mei
"Zhang Yibo carries a very youthful energy in his editing work. He has his own working method, and feeling the rhythm of life, like street dancing or playing games, helps build his editing intuition. He believes an editor should be a calm observer, someone who steps away from the excitement and emotions on set to make clear, decisive cuts."
@Director Team · Anonymous
"Ms. Hui Yuet-Chun said that creation should begin with resonance. That really struck me. If you don’t believe your own story, how could it possibly move the audience?"
Voices on the Eve of the Greenlight Session
At 4 a.m., while Beijing slept in darkness, a new note was submitted through the system. That same night, two teammates wrote entries that read almost like a dialogue with each other. The producer tried to reassure the director not to feel pressured, while the director replied with a screen filled with the word "nervous". Perhaps this is the most touching kind of understanding in collaboration - they were each handling the same pressure in their own way.
Group Photo of Trainees at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival Project Pitches Training Camp
@Producer Team · Zhai Junjie
"I’ve been running through the pitch in my mind all night. It’s already four in the morning and I’m still awake. I just hope tomorrow goes well. Everyone on the team has been very serious about the work. I hope the director won’t feel too much pressure, just stay confident!"
@Director Team · Lv Zhi
"Nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous nervous"
The Last Day: No Goodbyes, Only the Next Shoot
At the closing ceremony, the audience seats were filled with mentors, organizing committee, media guests, and families of the trainees. When the completion certificates were formally handed to each trainee, and when the Greenlight Session mentors announced the three selected short film projects one by one, the past fifteen days of excitement and anxiety finally found their conclusion.
Perhaps the most touching moment was the surprise announcement of the "Media Selected Short Film". Media guests announced on site that this honor would come with real financial support. The room erupted in particularly enthusiastic applause and cheers. Creators working in the industry have already learned to live with its many constraints and compromises. But here, there is always someone willing to recognize your potential and support your dream. This is a miracle unique to BJIFF.
After the ceremony, the crowd lingered for a long time. Some quietly wiped their eyes, while others gave supportive pats on the back. The words they never said were passed through their tightly held hands. That winter afternoon, they left with fifteen days of memories, four short films soon to be shot, and promises of future collaboration. The journey of filmmaking is long, but those who shared this part of it have become fixed points on each other’s maps.
Group Photo of Trainees at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival Project Pitches Training Camp
@Directing Team · Huang Wenli
"I often ask myself when a story becomes worthy of being told. Maybe it’s not about the best timing or the best location, but meeting people who are determined to tell that story. I’m grateful to the Beijing International Film Festival, Potato Chip, and the volunteers for taking such good care of us in the past half month. I’m also grateful to DomoreDumou and the media for their recognition and support. I’m grateful to Jojo Hui Yuet-chun, Rao Xiaozhi, and Ma Sichun for their encouragement, and to all the mentors for their guidance. I’m especially grateful to my teammates. That evening after the session, the look in your eyes made me want to start filming."
@Art Team · Mei Siqi
"These fifteen days seemed to stretch on, yet disappear in a blink. It felt like going back to campus life, attending classes together, thinking through problems, and discussing homework. Everything felt incredibly alive and vibrant. Let’s make films! I hope we never stop creating."
@Director Team · Lv Zhi
"After the training camp ended, I suddenly relaxed, and my body gave out for a few days. Even now I still feel a little dizzy. My body says the tense days are over, but in my mind I still want to keep talking, studying, and meeting together. I want to thank the friends I met during the camp and the family and friends who supported me. Thanks to producer Zai Zai, cinematographer Ouyang, and art director Wanli for choosing me. That evening after everyone left, I ran back and openly 'stole' our team’s nameplate. Now it’s on my desk, and I can see it every time I look up."
@Producer Team · Zhai Junjie
"Lv Zhi, Ouyang, and Wanli are all great people, and we are the kind who hesitate to trouble each other. I want temporary connections to become long-term bonds, which is why parting gives me some anxiety. I brought farewell gifts for my teammates, hoping we’ll meet often in the future and maybe make films together."
@Art Team · Huang Wanli
"A month sounds like a long time, until it’s over. Just as we were beginning to really connect, it was time to say goodbyes. A moment ago I was still sitting quietly in the corner, unsure who to talk to. And the next moment, the campus is empty, with not even a crow on the treetops. The film world is like a vast arena - sometimes people meet, sometimes they separate. In the days when we cannot sit together and share drinks, I hope we can all be like butterflies crossing over mountains. I hope we all discover where we truly belong. I hope we can feel the response of the world. I hope we can all pass our endless love to the family far away. And I hope we can all claim the leading role through our talent and effort."
@Director Team · Li Mingxin
"It has been a fulfilling and satisfying two weeks. It felt like going back to school, only this time the topics on the blackboard were cinema and the future. Now the bell rings, and we pick up our bags and leave the classroom. How long before we meet again - maybe just a short break, or maybe months or years…However long it may take, I believe we will meet again somewhere along the road of film. This class will truly stay with me. See you again, my friends. It was wonderful meeting all of you♥"
@Producer Team · Wang Xianhe
"I hope we all keep filming! As long as we keep creating, we will find each other again."
Group Photo of Trainees at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival Project Pitches Training Camp
From "My Story" to "Our Story"
The following three notes capture three separate moments that quietly connect. They all tell the same story: Film is not only about the self, but about how we carry forward the torch many others once held, and hand it forward to those who come after us. Those moments of confusion, emotion, realization, and determination that seem so personal, once put into words, go beyond the self and become part of a river that never stops flowing. Perhaps this is the quiet beauty of creative work: what began as "my way forward" ultimately became the road we traveled together.
@Producer Team · Tian Mei
"Ms. Liu Tianchi's sharing about how great directors approach filmmaking, their respect for the craft and their devotion to it, were deeply inspiring. We are grateful to her, a senior figure in the industry, for encouraging us to persevere until we earn the right to speak to the world through film. What she said gave every young creator present a renewed sense of purpose. Her care and generosity toward young filmmakers mean so much to us. We know how lucky we are."
@Director Team · Lv Zhi
"Mr. Wang Chong and Mr. Qu Siyi shared their experience and techniques generously, and we are truly grateful. Standing there for the group photo, facing the flashing cameras, I felt a sudden rush of emotion. In those flashes, it felt as if the past hundred years of cinema had passed before my eyes and I thought about how generations of filmmakers have come this far."
@Director Team · Song Wenting
"Maybe it’s because I never trained in film, I find myself asking a lot of questions. Every class here teaches me something, yet there is still so much I don’t know. It makes me wonder how I managed to do so much. The gaps I have are mostly in techniques and forms; what keeps me going is reason and passion. I want to remain humble in learning from the world, and keep my passion alive. I want my creations to take root and bloom. I want my work to share with others what that sudden flash of happiness once showered me."
Group Photo of Trainees at the 16th Beijing International Film Festival Project Pitches Training Camp
In the long course of life, fifteen days passes in an instant. But for these young creators, it was an important gathering. Here, they reaffirmed their love for filmmaking, sharpened their craft, found companions, and faced the industry as it truly is. The inspiration sparked in class, the understanding built within teams, and the resilience forged in anxious late nights will all become the nourishment that sustains their creative lives.
The training camp may be over, but their own film stories are only just beginning. May the connection you have built together stay with you through every step of the creative journeys ahead. Keep creating, and we’ll surely meet again.
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