Panda Vision Film Festival

About

About film festival

The Panda Vision Film Festival, a flagship artistic event hosted by Cogdel School Chengdu, celebrates and showcases the creative talents of middle and high school students. This international gathering brings together young filmmakers from around the world to share their passion and skills in the art of filmmaking.

The festival features four thoughtfully curated screening categories: Narrative Films, Documentaries, Experimental Films, and Music Videos. Complementing the screenings are enriching workshops and a dynamic awards ceremony. Industry professionals and a distinguished jury will also be in attendance, providing invaluable guidance and offering young filmmakers a platform to exchange ideas and showcase their talents.

Awards

Awards and Prizes

- Best Film in each category.

• BEST NARRATIVE
• BEST DOCUMENTARY
• BEST EXPERIMENTAL
• BEST MUSIC VIDEO

- SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS:

• BEST EDITING
• BEST DIRECTING
• BEST ACTING
• BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN
• BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Grand Prize, awarded to the best film screened in competition at the festival.

Grand Jury Prize, awarded to the second-best film screened in competition at the festival

Audience Choice Award: Voted by attendees

Rules

Official Rules & Guidelines

PLEASE READ EVERYTHING BELOW

Please read through our submission criteria carefully.

Feel free to contact us at info.gpff@cogdel.com if you have a question or need clarification.

Festival Structure

- December’24: Call for submissions

- December’24 – April’25: Film submission window open

- April 12th 2025: Deadline for film submission

- April 12th 2025 – April 15th 2025: Selection process

- April 15th 2025: Shortlist announcement

- May 9th 2025: "Panda Vision Film Festival", including screenings, workshop, and closing, opening and award ceremony

Categories

All films (national and international) may be submitted into only one of the following categories:

​   - Narrative Film: Any narrative live-action film. Fictional works (drama, comedy, etc.) between 3–12 minutes in length.

   - Documentary: Short-form documentaries (5-15 minutes) addressing local or global issues.

   - Experimental Film: Non-traditional storytelling that pushes the boundaries of form and content.

Any film under 10 minutes that does not fit the mold of typical filmmaking.

   - Music video: Music video under 8 minutes in length.

Note: public service announcements, commercials, and film trailers are not eligible for consideration in any category.

Film Festival Organizing Committee

Cogdel School Chengdu

The period and location of the film festival is determined annually and is indicated in the Appendix to these Regulations.

Eligibility

The film’s director(s) must have been 18 years of age or younger at the time of production.

All films must be in original languages and subtitled in English/or Chinese.

Film Submission Process

Online Application: Must be completed no later than 16:00pm Beijing time, April 12th, 2025

Preferred Methods

For films: use any cloud storage drive (ex. Google Cloud, Baidu Disk, Dropbox)

Important Notice: The film must be available starting from the date of application submission and remain accessible for at least one year following the festival's closing date.

For applications: fill in the online application provided by Festival Organizing Committee.

Synopsis

The 3-line synopsis submitted with your online application will be used in the festival guide and promotional materials.

Please write an engaging and compelling description of your film. The PVFF reserves the right to edit synopses for length and grammar.

Notification

If your film is selected for the PVFF 2025, you will be notified via email on April 15th, 2025. Applicants whose films are not selected will also be notified by email. Please inform us if your email address changes and add info.gpff@cogdel.com to your safe sender list. Note that we often encounter issues with emails sent to school domains (e.g., .edu, .gov).

Whenever possible, please use a personal email address for your submission.

Screening Requirements

Films selected for the PVFF 2025 must provide an exhibition copy in Full-Resolution QuickTime format (ProRes 422 preferred). The exhibition copy must be received no later than May 2nd, 2025. Please note that exhibition copies will not be returned.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release

I acknowledge and agree that, to the best of my knowledge, I am duly authorized to submit this film to PVFF and to grant permissions related to its use and distribution.

I grant permission to PVFF to use film clips/stills for promotional use. I allow PVFF and any third parties at PVFF the right to film, videotape, and photograph my appearance and voice for any and all marketing and promotion of the festival.

I understand I will be added to the PVFF email newsletter lists and receive email updates from PVFF. My name and email may also be shared with 3rd party partners. In both cases, I can always unsubscribe via the email footer.

​Submitting a film to PVFF constitutes an agreement by and between the filmmaker/representative, and/or applicable Parent/Guardian of a minor aged Filmmaker, and PVFF. By submitting, I agree to all of these rules, terms, and conditions. I also acknowledge that I will not receive any compensation for the use of my film by PVFF in accordance with the rules, terms, and conditions.

​I understand and acknowledge that, if I am under 18 years of age, my parent, or guardian must agree to the terms of this Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release on my behalf. As a Parent or Guardian of a minor filmmaker, if applicable, I understand and acknowledge that I am agreeing to the terms of this Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release on behalf of my child. For a child for whom I am a legally designated Guardian.

Premiere Requirements

No premiere requirement

Jury and Organizers

About organizer

Cogdel School Chengdu is a leading K-12 international school in Southwest China, dedicated to the noble mission of "Education Leads the Future." The school is committed to cultivating leaders with a global perspective, exceptional leadership skills, innovative abilities, and a strong sense of social responsibility.

Cogdel School is accredited by Cognia, the world's largest nonprofit organization for international school accreditation. It is also an international partner school of Syracuse University's Project Advance (SUPA) and is recognized by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) in the United States. Additionally, the school is an authorized IGCSE and A-level examination center, accredited by both Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) and Pearson Edexcel. It also serves as a certified testing center for the Cambridge English Qualifications (CEQ) series by Cambridge Assessment English. These esteemed accreditations highlight the school's academic strength and international reputation.

Beyond academic excellence, Cogdel School Chengdu has achieved remarkable success in arts, sports, and technology. This year, we are thrilled to present the Panda Vision Film Festival—a celebration of cinematic art—as we explore the limitless charm of filmmaking together.