Do you love capturing subtle moments of light in daily life through your lens, infusing ordinary days with vivid color? Do you wish to explore the frontiers of technology and sketch the future with boundless creativity? Have you ever traced the roots of cultural heritage, letting the grace of tradition be reborn in cinema? Do you yearn to frame the vastness of mountains and rivers, carrying the landscapes of both sides of the Taiwan Strait through your camera? Or do you wish to preserve precious family memories from the passage of time, letting warmth travel from a small home to the wider world?

The 16th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF), together with the "Jingcai Taiwan", invites young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to a cinematic rendezvous, using their lens to capture the beauty of everyday life, express cultural sentiments, envision the future, and cherish the warmth of family—so that stories from both sides of the Strait may shine with unique radiance on screen!

Since its inception in 2024, the "Jingcai Taiwan" Cross-Strait Youth Short Film Collection has successfully held two editions. The second edition was featured in the “Film Plus” series of the 15th BJIFF and was recommended by the spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council at a regular press conference. It has not only established a high-quality platform for young people across the Strait to connect through film and exchange ideas through art, but also ignited youthful creativity in interaction and deepened cross-strait friendship in the course of creation. It has become a vivid medium for deepening exchanges among cross-strait youth and advancing cross-strait integrated development.

In 2026, the third edition of the collection initiative will kick off anew. We sincerely invite youth creative teams, university students and film enthusiasts from across the Strait to take part. This edition presents four distinctive categories: Daily Light and Shadow, Future Vision, Cultural Imprints, and Scenery on the Road, along with a special AI category - My Family Memories, unlocking infinite creative possibilities across diverse themes.

Four Themed Categories to Capture Diverse Beauty

Featuring four creative tracks, the initiative welcomes creators of all interests: whether you focus on documenting daily life, exploring technology, cherishing cultural heritage, or capturing scenery on the road.

Everyday Light and Shadow: Capture the small joys of life, delightful moments at work, or unique memories of campus youth. Freeze the vibrant, positive spirit of young people from both sides of the Strait through your lens, and let ordinary days glow with warmth.

Future Vision: Explore the interplay of technology and creativity! Integrate science-fiction elements, document how technology empowers daily life, or create using innovative tools such as AIGC and drone photography to unlock infinite visual possibilities.

Cultural Imprints: Trace the threads of Chinese civilization, and capture the beauty of its enduring heritage. Focus on intangible cultural heritage (ICH) skills, traditional arts, and historical stories, using the lens to revitalize traditional culture in the new era and express the shared cultural bond across the Strait.

Scenery on the Road: Let your camera be your vessel as you wander through the mountains and rivers on both sides of the Strait. Capture the surprises and emotions along your journey, showcase the splendid scenery across the Strait and the magnificent landscapes of our motherland, and invite the audience to follow your lens to distant mountains and boundless seas.

AI Special Category - My Family Memories

The exclusive AI creative track is is officially open! We invite young people from both sides of the Strait to take AIGC as their creative brush, draw inspiration from unique family memories, and portray the warmth of family life through images and visuals. Let the tenderness hidden in time flow from every small home to the vast mountains and seas.

Creative inspiration can be drawn from the following themes (including but not limited to):

📸 An old photo: Why has it become a cherished treasure in your heart? What family stories does it carry?

💭 A heartwarming memory about family that makes your heart soft whenever you think of it 

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A family reunion, a home-cooked meal, or an unforgettable farewell

🌟 A precious moment never captured on camera, yet forever engraved in your heart

✨Creation Tips: We don't insist on a complete narrative or a fixed ending. Instead, we hope to witness your original intention in choosing this memory, and how you employ AI to bring it vividly to life on screen.

Selected works, with authorization from the creators, will be included in the cross-strait youth family memory archive of texts and images, preserving this warmth for years to come; more exciting opportunities await in the future:

△ Refined into more complete visual stories, allowing this warmth to be shared with a wider audience;

△ Inspiring resonance and encouraging re-creations among young creators across the Strait;

△ Evolving from initial AI creative prototypes into more refined and distinctive visual expressions.

Submission deadline: May 20, 2026

In addition to first, second, and third prizes for outstanding creation works in each category, the jury will present Special Mention, Best Cinematography, Best Director, and Best Creativity awards among all finalists. The most popular work will be selected through public online voting.