The 8th Blue Planet Sci-Fi Film Festival marks a major upgrade to our main competition. Building on our tradition of short film submissions, and inspired by the outstanding feature-length works received in previous editions, we are officially launching a Feature Film & Series Unit this year — bringing features and episodic series into the main competition for the first time.

In an era where AI is deeply reshaping the creative landscape, we are looking for sci-fi works with greater craftsmanship and narrative ambition.

At the same time, we are proud to introduce a brand-new Science Communication Track. This decision was sparked by last year's shortlisted documentary Starman, which followed an astronomer and wove together scientific inquiry and cosmic philosophy — reminding us that science communication is not merely the transmission of knowledge, but the passing on of curiosity and the spirit of exploration. We hope to discover more works that bring the beauty of science to life through film.

Sci-Fi and Science Communication. Two tracks. One festival.
We look forward to your work.

Awards & Prizes

SCI-FI TRACK

Sci-Fi Short Film Unit
• Best Sci-Fi Film Honor
• Best Director Honor
• Best Screenplay Honor
• Best Animation Honor
• Best Performance Honor
• Best Visual Imagination Honor
• Blue Planet STAR Award
• Special Mention Honor from the Jury
• Outstanding Sci-Fi Short Film Honor

Sci-Fi Feature Film & Series Unit
• Recommended Sci-Fi Feature of the Year Honor
• Recommended Sci-Fi Series of the Year Honor
• Best Director Honor
• Best Screenplay Honor
• Best Sci-Fi Visual Effects Honor
• Best Sci-Fi Concept Design Honor
• Best Emerging Sci-Fi Work Honor
• Special Mention Honor from the Jury

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION TRACK

Science Communication Short Video Unit
• Best Science Communication Video Honor
• Best Science IP Character Honor
• Best Science Storytelling Honor
• Best Viral Impact Honor
• AI Co-Creation in Science Communication Honor
• Best Scientific Visual Communication Honor
• Outstanding Science Communication Video Honor

Rules & Terms

1. Eligible works must have been produced between January 2025 and September 2026.

2. Eligible content:
(1) Sci-Fi Track — Short Film Unit: Short films in sci-fi and pan-fantasy genres, including science fiction, fantasy, and works with surreal or speculative settings. Also eligible: sci-fi art films and visual works such as sci-fi installation art shorts, fantasy game videos, and futuristic tech concept films. Runtime: up to 60 minutes.
(2) Sci-Fi Track — Feature Film & Series Unit: Feature films and series in sci-fi and pan-fantasy genres. Features must be 60 minutes or longer. Series must be complete seasons or series with no per-episode length requirement.
(3) Science Communication Track — Short Video Unit: Short videos dedicated to popularizing scientific knowledge and promoting scientific thinking, covering natural sciences, engineering, humanities, cutting-edge technology, and scientific inquiry. Runtime: 1–30 minutes.

3. All submitted works must comply with the relevant laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China.

4. Applicants must be the legal rights holders of the submitted works, hold all relevant copyrights, and assume corresponding legal responsibilities.

5. Artists retain the copyright of all submitted works. However, the organizing committee is authorized to screen selected works free of charge during the festival and subsequent screening tour events.

6. The festival is not responsible for the loss or damage of submitted materials caused by unavoidable factors during the mailing process.

7. The organizer and the competition organizing committee reserve the right to final judgment in all competition matters.

8. The use of AI-generated imagery is encouraged, provided it does not infringe upon intellectual property rights or violate applicable laws and regulations. The use of different creative tools and methods will not affect the judging process. Entrants are encouraged to provide a note explaining any AI-generated segments in their work.
3 Reviews
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  • Pretty Magic Flying Koi

    Winning this festival has been massive for us! Being able to tell people that we won the most important science fiction film festival in all of China has had a major impact in our meetings with other entertainment professionals. We can't thank this festival's organizers and the grand jury enough for this incredible honor! They've changed our lives!

    December 2023
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  • Moris Amiryan

    Thank you )
    It was a pleasure to join your festival this year again.

    January 2023
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  • Naizabek Sydykov

    Очень хороший фестиваль, который даёт возможность показать свой фильм и высоко оценивают!!! Желаю дальнейшего процветания и интересных фильмов!!! Удачи!!!

    January 2023
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