International Film Camp 2024: Funded Shorts Once Again Reach the Global Stage

IFC-funded short Ride Your Horse canters into the main competition of the 19th FIRST International Film Festival in Xining

04 July 2025

The Asian Film Awards Academy is delighted to announce that Ride Your Horse, an award-winning short developed and funded at IFC 2024 and directed by mainland Chinese newcomer SONG Dongxu, has been selected for the Competition of the 19th FIRST International Film Festival in Xining. The film will vie for Best Short Film and other top honours alongside outstanding works from around the globe.

Founded in 2006, FIRST is China’s leading platform for discovering and promoting emerging Chinese-language filmmakers. Its Competition showcases both feature-length and short works distinguished by independence and creative freedom, with ten prizes on offer—including Best Short Film—judged by a jury of Asia’s most respected film professionals.

Set amid Inner Mongolia’s biting winter, Ride Your Horse trails two young men who dream of fleeing their dead-end days for the warmer South. Blending humour with heart, the film offers a vivid portrait of youth torn between leaving and staying, showing how hope and friendship endure even in the harshest cold.

If you dream of seeing your own work on the global stage, applications for IFC 2025 are now open! Organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy and supported by CCIDAHK, the Hong Kong Film Development Fund, Sands China Ltd and Shaw Studios, the International Film Camp takes place in Macao from 10–16 September 2025. This year’s theme—My Best Friend—invites filmmakers to craft short-film concepts inspired by stories of friendship and human connection. Seize the chance to let your imagination shine!

Application Link: https://www.afa-academy.com/round/ifc2nd/

Please contact us if any questions,

Email: info@afa-academy.com

Tel: +852 3195 0609

Website: www.afa-academy.com

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