Filmed in Minnan dialect, Catching Alternative follows Zheng Jie, a teenager from a boat-dwelling community who rescues people from the river and strives to resist the folk superstition of “water ghost catching alternative.” As uncanny realities intrude, his faith begins to falter. With precise pacing and rooted folk context, the film explores the boundaries between belief, fear, and growth, demonstrating the director’s command of genre tension and emotional depth within a short format.

Committed to nurturing the next generation of Asian filmmakers, IFC provides professional mentorship, cross-cultural exchange, and production funding to transform story concepts into films. The Asian Film Awards Academy organizes the camp with patronages of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, and the support of the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDAHK), the Film Development Fund (FDF) of the Hong Kong SAR Government, and Sands China Limited, and Shaw Studios as sponsors. The 2025 edition of IFC will be held in Macao from September 10 to 16, continuing its mission to discover and propel new voices onto the international stage.