A new season of short film creation under the Falcon Project was launched at the China National Film Museum on Oct. 28 in Beijing.

Leadership, mentors and guests pose for a group photo at a new Falcon Project creative season launch ceremony held at the China National Film Museum in Beijing, Oct. 28, 2024. [Photo courtesy of China Film Association] 

With the theme of "The City in My Heart - The Jingchu Land that Extends for Thousands of Miles," the new season will give participating young filmmakers a platform to produce shorts about Hubei province. The term "Jingchu" is an ancient name for what is now China's Hubei province.

Shorts will be no longer than 30 minutes and depict everyday stories, focusing on the five Hubei cities of Huangshi, Jingzhou, Xianning, Jianshi, and Xiangyang.

Deng Guanghui, the resident vice president of the China Film Association (CFA), at the ceremony stated that this season of the Falcon Project aims to be an educational platform to help budding filmmakers cultivate their cinematic skills as well as hone creativity. 

As the second run of this mentorship program, this season plans to continue the Falcon Project's objective of guiding young talent with documenting the era and expressing various sentiments of the people.

"I hope that young filmmakers will set the right direction, create for the great era and use the medium of film to document the new journey of the new era," Deng said, "by fulfilling their artistic mission and telling good Chinese stories, they shall create film works of both artistic grace and substantial content to reflect the history, culture and eras of transformation in Hubei."

As part of the bigger outreach project to connect future filmmakers with today's industry, selected young filmmakers will be given the chance to work with established professionals. Additionally, numerous filmmakers specializing in professional fields such as cinematography, sound recording and film art will be invited to contribute as mentors, providing comprehensive guidance and support throughout the project.

Interested young filmmakers are asked to submitted a short no longer than three minutes as part of the registration process. Tian Zhuangzhuang, veteran actor, filmmaker and artistic director for the Falcon Project, explained: "a 3-minute short film can reveal the creator's basic understanding of film visuals and aesthetic talent. Creators should be focusing on reality and rooting in life to find better stories. I hope we can cultivate better talent for the film industry."

At the launch ceremony, other mentors also stepped onstage to share their experiences and expectations. Among them, Wang Kai, a native of Wuhan, Hubei province, expressed his hope that through these future shorts, everyone will be able to understand and appreciate the spirit and mentality of Hubei and its people in a more holistic and multi-dimensional way.

Participating young directors and screenwriters from the previous program also appeared on stage to share their gratitude, insights and anticipations. They encouraged more young filmmakers to join the new season to showcase Hubei stories and make friends with those who share similar visions.

Entitled "The City in My Heart - Altay," the previous season saw the production of shorts that focused on Altay, a prefecture in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Mentors for the new Falcon Project creative season share their expectation and insights on stage at the China National Film Museum in Beijing, Oct. 28, 2024. [Photo courtesy of China Film Association] 

Liu Haijun, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hubei Provincial Committee, noted in his speech that Hubei is an important, historic and strategic area within China, holding a vital role in Yangtze River civilization as well as Chinese society as a whole.

"This short film season, focusing on Hubei, fully leverages the unique influence and communicative power of short films to more vividly shape the urban and cultural image of Hubei, spread Jingchu culture and enhance understanding of the region. It is a very meaningful activity," he stated.

This new Falcon Project creative season is guided by the CFA and sponsored by the Film Art Center of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Hubei Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles. The season is organized by the Hubei Changjiang Film Group and the Hubei Film Association. 

Registration for the season is open from Oct. 29 to Dec. 15, with applicants being chosen for two categories: directing and screenwriting. The process then will include phases ranging from talent selection and training to filming and post-production.

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