With a total funding support of over 1.6 million yuan, the event invites Chinese youth filmmakers from around the world to participate in creating theme-based short films.

The 2023 Maritime Guangdong Young Director Support Program, organized by the Yangcheng Evening News, officially kicked off on April 25th, and is now open for online registration for Chinese youth directors around the world. With a focus on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the program aims to invitepromisingyouthdirectors to inject new vitality into the local film industry. Each project can receive up to 200,000 yuan in funding.

The Greater Bay Area has a rich history in Chinese cinema, with its unique geographical and economic advantages, providing inspiration and nourishment for the country's film and television industry throughout the years.

The program, initiated by the Yangcheng Evening News, aims to support promisingdirectors in the Greater Bay Area's film industry and promote the development of high-quality projects. The event is also expected to explore the international perspective of Lingnan culture through the eyes and creativity of the younger generation.

The event is supported by several Guangdongorganizations, such as the Guangdong Film Association, Guangdong Photographers Association, and the Yangcheng Evening News. It consists of three parts - director recruitment, short film creation, and short film exhibition, and is expected to run from April to September.

Two competitionsections for short film and microfilm

The program is calling for young Chinese directors worldwide, launching two competition sections. The first one is a theme-based short film competition, with a focus on the cultural heritage of overseas Chinese in the Greater Bay Area. This sectionaims to tell stories of the cultural connection between Guangdong and the world through films.

Guangdong has been a province with a rich history of maritime trade and immigration. Overseas Chinese and the Greater Bay Area are connected by a shared cultural identity and history. The program aims to seek out talented young filmmakers with unique perspectives on Lingnan culture and the cultural heritage of overseas Chinese in the GBA, supporting them in creating various types of short films such as drama, documentary, and animation. This competition aims to break new ground in the future of the Greater Bay Area's film culture and to present Lingnan culture to the world through a lens.

"Overseas Chinese culture is an essential part of Lingnan culture, and the history of overseas Chinese has greatly influenced the history of Guangdong and the Greater Bay Area atlarge. It is a valuable heritage of memories, and the history of Guangdong people's integration and contributions to the world is an indispensable chapter in world history," said Du Chuangui, Secretary of the CPC Committee and President of the Yangcheng Evening News. "Looking back at the classic works of the Greater Bay Area's film and television, there are many films depicting overseas Chinese, which has always been a specialty of Guangdong filmmakers. We hope that young creators can bring us refreshing narratives through film, while reinterpreting Lingnan culture through the theme of overseas Chinese and showcasing the international aspects of Lingnan culture. This is a challenging task that requires young directors to possess both humanistic ideas and a global vision." The Yangcheng Evening News will maximize its platform and brand advantages, aggregate cultural resources from the Greater Bay Area, and provide comprehensive support to young directors and their works in all aspects, including script writing, filming, distribution, and promotion.

Apart from financial support, the program will also invite senior directors, screenwriters, film critics, and cultural scholars to form a mentor evaluation committee to interact with young directors and help them explore more creative possibilities.

Six young directors will be selected from the participants for the maximum support funding of 200,000 yuan. After the completion of the short films, there will be awards for best director, best creative, and international communication.

To expand the scope of support, the competition has also launched a second section, the "Walking Towards Mountainsand Seas" microfilm/short film competition, which is also themed around overseas Chinese culture and is open to young filmmakers and college students worldwide. Outstanding creators will enter the Greater Bay Area's young film and television professional pool and receive awards ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 yuan.

Supporting young directors to present films globally

Short films that receive financial support and prizes from the program will beeligible to participate in this year's short film exhibition in September. The Yangcheng Evening News (YCWB) will join hands with partners in the Greater Bay Area and overseas to create a global tour stage for screening and communication for young directors, helping them to gain their"first audience" in the globalpresentation of their works.

"Thefilmexhibition will consistof online and offline sections. We will cooperate with mainstream video websites and social media at home and abroad to facilitate the exposure and discussion of excellent works across regions and borders without time limits. The offline screening will include short film screenings, director meet-and-greet sessions, and cultural exhibitions, offering a visual culture feast for audiences at home and abroad. It will also promote exchanges and dialogues between young directors and professionals in the film and television industry to effectively expand the development space of young directors." According to Sun Chaofang, chief planner of the program and editor-in-chief of YCWB, the highlight of this year's exhibition is the overseas offline screening. The Yangcheng Evening News will join hands with Kwanteo Time-based Art Institution to promote short films to overseas Chinese communities and individuals in countries and regions with high-quality curation standards, connecting the inner intersection and emotional resonance of the Chinese worldwide through short films.

The first stop of the overseaseventwillbe Southeast Asian countries. As of now, the organizers have reached cooperation intentions with local government departments, universities, film and television companies, and Chinese associations in Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia to facilitate the screening and communication of short films in major cities in Southeast Asia.

Exploring the Lingnan culture to find international perspectives of it

The GBA has unique film and cultural resources, with stars both on and off the screen, and has given birth to numerous commercial and artistic masterpieces that are well-known both domestically and abroad. In recent years, the creative production capacity of the GBA's film industry has continued to improve, and the Guangdong film market has long ranked first in the country in terms of market size, with the research, development and application of film technology at the forefront of the country. The program will explore, guide, and support outstanding young directors to contribute to the film industry in the Greater Bay Area.

"When we emphasize the films of the Greater Bay Area, we are not just labeling the films, but hoping to enhance our cultural characteristics and promote our artistic style from a cultural and geographical perspective. We expect more distinctive films from the Greater Bay Area to present the unique features of Lingnan," said Xiao Xiaoqing, deputy chairman of the Guangdong Film Association. Xiao added that the first step for all successful directors is to make short films, and the program focuses on supporting short film creation. Young directors can fully tap and display their personal style, narrative ability, and artistic aesthetics within a limited time, laying the foundation for making feature films in the future. As a guiding institution of this event, the Guangdong Film Association will engage in professional guidance and work review, and provide industry resources and support for young directors with the potential to make long films.

The 2023 Maritime Guangdong Young Director Support Program is leading the charge in discovering the Lingnan culture, and the YangchenEveningNews is at the forefront of this exploration. In the age of social media, short videos have become one of the most important means of content production and dissemination, and the Yangchen Evening News has been focusing on this area for some time. However, creating short films requires even higher standards for content production than short videos. The program features young directors as the main creative force, with the Yangchen Evening News as the producer. This project explores the path to creating high-quality short films, leading the"high-quality development" of cultural content production, and shaping a new cultural communication environment. Basedon the international communication matrix of Lingnan on the Cloud, it collaborates with overseas Chinese-language media, local mainstream media, social networks, and other platforms to promote the culture of southern China to the rest of the world. Withtheseefforts, the Yangchen Evening News is making a significant contribution to the cultural strength of Guangdongand China.

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一封来自羊城晚报、向全球华人青年导演发出的邀请函：跨过山，越过海，一起创造梦想

2023“向山海走去”青年导演创作扶持计划启动，总扶持资金超160万元

4月25日，由羊城晚报报业集团主办的2023“向山海走去”青年导演创作扶持计划（2023 Maritime Guangdong Young Director Support Program）正式启动，同步开放海内外在线报名。活动立足粤港澳大湾区，面向全球，征募华人青年导演参与主题短片创作，单人单部作品最高扶持资金达20万元。

回顾中国电影史，大湾区电影是不可忽视的高峰。得益于特殊地缘优势和经济基础先发优势，大湾区电影蓬勃发展，在不同年代一直为中国影视创作输送新鲜养分和灵感。

“山海计划”由岭南文化大报羊城晚报独家发起，致力于延续岭南文化传统，寻找并扶持大湾区电影的新锐力量，为人文湾区注入全新活力，为大湾区电影产业的“高质量发展”培养优秀人才、孵化优秀项目。同时，本届活动也期待通过年轻一代的视角与创作，发掘岭南文化的国际视角。

本届活动由广东省电影家协会、广东省摄影家协会、广东省网络文化协会指导，羊城晚报社、金羊网、羊城派承办。活动包括导演征募、短片创作和短片展映三个单元，系列活动预计从4月持续至9月。

设置主题短片征募和微电影大赛两大赛道

“山海计划”面向全球征募华人青年导演，共设置两大赛道。赛道一为主题短片创作征募，本届创作主题聚焦大湾区侨乡文化，希冀以电影短片为载体，讲述海内外广东人因文化同源而血脉相连的故事。

广东自古就是中国海上贸易和移民出洋最早、最多的省份，海外侨胞和粤港澳大湾区同气连枝，拥有共同的文化身份和历史记忆。“山海计划”以主题创作征募的形式，寻找对岭南文化和大湾区侨乡文化有独到见地的青年电影人才，支持他们探索剧情、纪录、动画等不同类型的短片创作，突破和展开对未来大湾区电影文化的想象之路，也让世界通过电影镜头重新发现岭南。

“侨乡文化是岭南文化的重要组成部分，侨的历史在很大程度上塑造了广东的历史、大湾区的历史，是珍贵的记忆遗产，广东人走向世界、融入世界、贡献世界的历史，也是世界历史不可缺少的亮丽篇章。回望大湾区影视的经典作品，表现华人华侨题材的电影有很多，一直是广东电影人的‘拿手好戏’。我们期待青年创作者一方面能为我们带来耳目一新的电影叙事，另一方面通过华侨主题的电影创作重新阐释岭南文化，呈现岭南文化的国际面向。这个创作难度其实很高，需要青年导演兼具人文素养和全球视野。”羊城晚报报业集团党委书记、社长杜传贵介绍，羊城晚报将最大限度发挥平台与品牌优势，聚合大湾区文化资源，从剧本开发、拍摄制作、发行传播等环节，对青年导演及其作品进行全方位扶持。

除了真金白银的支持外，“山海计划”还将邀请资深导演、编剧、影评人、文化学者等组成导师评审团，与青年导演们展开交流互动，帮助他们探索更多创作可能性。

据了解，活动将从报名者中选拔并扶持6位青年导演，最高创作扶持资金达20万元。短片制作完成后还将评选最佳导演奖、最佳创意奖及国际传播大奖。

为了扩大扶持范围，活动还设置了赛道二，同步启动“向山海走去”同主题微电影/短片大赛，面向海内外青年电影人才及高校学生征片。优秀创作者将入选大湾区青年影视种子人才库并获得1000～10000元不等的奖金。

助力青年导演“出圈”打造海内外展映季

据了解，“山海计划”中获得扶持资金和奖金的短片作品均有机会参与今年9月举行的“山海计划”短片展映季。羊城晚报将携手大湾区及海外合作伙伴，为青年导演打造放映和交流的全球巡回舞台，助力青年导演在作品的海内外传播中收获自己的“第一批观众”。

“‘山海计划’短片展映季将分为线上展映和线下展映两个板块。我们将和国内外主流视频网站、社交媒体合作，促成优秀作品跨地域、跨国界、不限时的有效曝光和讨论。线下展映则策划了短片放映、导演见面会和文化展览等活动环节，将为海内外观众打造丰盛的影像文化盛宴，并促成青年导演和专业影视界人士进行交流对话，有效拓展新生力量的发展空间。”“山海计划”总策划、金羊网总编辑孙朝方透露，本届展映季最大的亮点是海外线下展映，羊城晚报将携手“观潮时间艺术机构”，以专业的策展水准，将短片推广至海外华人集聚的国家和地区，以短片为媒介，连接海外华人社群团体和个人，共筑“血脉乡情”的内在交集和情感共鸣。

据悉，“山海计划”短片“出海”首站预定于东南亚。目前主办方已和泰国、新加坡、马来西亚当地政府部门、高校、影视公司、华人协会等达成友好合作意向，共同促成短片在东南亚主要城市的放映和交流。

探索岭南文化新内涵，彰显国际化表达

粤港澳大湾区拥有得天独厚的电影文化资源，台前幕后星光熠熠，诞生过无数扬名海内外的商业与艺术佳作。近些年来，湾区电影创作生产能力持续提升，广东电影市场规模长期位列全国第一，电影技术研发与应用走在全国前列。“山海计划”将通过对优秀青年导演的挖掘、指导和扶持，为大湾区的电影产业发展“添砖加瓦”。

“当我们强调大湾区电影的时候，并不是为了贴地域标签，而是希望以文化地缘的视野增强我们的文化特性、发扬我们的艺术风格。我们期待看到更多特色鲜明的大湾区电影，它们能呈现岭南独有的颜色、温度和湿度。”广东省电影家协会专职副主席肖小青表示，所有成功导演的第一步都是拍短片，“山海计划”定位为扶持短片创作，在有限的片长中可以充分挖掘和展现青年导演的个人风格、叙事能力和艺术审美，为他们拍长电影做好充分的预备。广东省电影家协会作为本届活动的指导单位，将深度参与活动的专业指导和作品评审，并为有拍长片潜质的青年导演提供行业资源的接引扶持。

从不同面向重新发现岭南，“山海计划”也是羊城晚报近年来探索岭南文化新内涵的重要尝试。社交媒体时代，短视频作为内容生产和传播最重要的载体之一，一直是羊城晚报着力深耕的领域。和短视频相比，短片的创作则对内容生产的质量提出了更高的要求。“山海计划”以青年导演为主创、以羊城晚报为出品方，将积极探索精品短片的创作路径，引领文化内容生产领域的“高质量发展”，塑造文化传播新气象，并依托“云上岭南”等国际传播矩阵，联合海外华文媒体及当地主流媒体、社交网络等，推动岭南文化走向五洲四海，在文化强省和文化强国建设中做出羊晚的贡献。

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文｜羊城晚报记者 李丽
翻译｜刘佳慧
责编｜王瑜瑛