The International Student Film and Video Festival (ISFVF) is an international exchange gathering for student short film and video works organized by Beijing Film Academy (BFA). The Festival was established in 2001 by Professor and distinguished Director Xie Fei. Since then, ISFVF has been officially included in the Academy's academic curriculum and is held every autumn in Beijing.

The International Student Film and Video Festival (ISFVF) is supported by the International Association of Cinema, Audiovisual and Media Schools (CILECT) and is an important part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair on Cinematic Arts and Cultural Diversity.

The 25th International Student Film and Video Festival will take place at the two campuses of Beijing Film Academy in autumn, 2026, featuring various screenings and exchange activities, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.

Missions of ISFVF:

1.To promote the internationalization of film education at the Academy, foster an international outlook among students and faculty, and enhance their professional capabilities.

2. To facilitate exchanges and cooperation among universities, worldwide, enhance exchanges among young creators globally, and foster mutual friendship.

3. To discover and support gifted young creators and introduce them as emerging talents to the cinematic industry.

4. To encourage artistic individually, exploratory thinking, technological innovation, and self-expression.

5.To enrich forms of youth visual expression, expand the boundaries of audiovisual language, and keep pace with contemporary media trends and creative ecosystems.

Awards & Prizes

The following awards will be decided by the International Jury and presented with certificates, trophies, and prizes:
1.Best Fiction.
2.Best Documentary.
3.Best Animation.
4.Best AIGC Film.
5.Best MicroShort Film.
6.Best Director.
7.Best Screenplay.
8.Best Performance.
9.Best Cinematography.
10.Best Sound.
11.Best Production Design.
12.Best Editing.
13.UNESCO Chair on Cinematic Arts and Cultural Diversity Special Award.
14.Special Jury Prize.
15.Outstanding Award.

Rules & Terms

For Regulations or work submission, please visit our official website at isfvf-eng.bfa.edu.cn. You can complete online submission through submission.isfvf.online.

1.The competing work must have been completed while the creator was enrolled in a higher education institution or equivalent program (including advanced, bridging and vocational programs). Proof of enrollment, student ID or graduation certificate must be submitted by applicants at the time of submission.

2.Fiction, Documentary, and Animation must have been completed after August 15, 2025.

3.AIGC and Micro Short must have been completed after September 30, 2025.

4.Each work can only be submitted in one category. Submitting separate parts of a single work as multiple entries is not allowed.

If you have any questions about ISFVF, please do not hesitate to contact us via email isfvf@bfa.edu.cn or submission@isfvf.group.

3 Reviews
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  • Tania Alvarez Guerrero

    This festival was so amazing, such good organization and films. Bfa is the best!

    July 2024
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  • Félix Farny

    Such an amazing festival !
    - Two big theaters screening between 20 and 50 short films a day, during one whole week
    - 40 directors decided to come when I was there
    - a lot of very kind and helpful volunteers
    - really great place to live for one week
    - nice visiting schedule (we visited the Great Wall and the Forbidden City all together)
    - I had the golden award, and that was an amazing thing as well ;)

    November 2018
    Helpful
  • Aram Gharibyan

    The best student festival in asia!

    October 2018
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