From November 6th to 10th, the 11th Golden Swallow Cross-Strait Micro Film & Video Festival Carnival took place at our university. Guided by the Information Bureau of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and co-organized by our university and the Hubei Province Cross-Strait Exchange Promotion Association, the event attracted young creators, film industry professionals, and experts from both sides of the Strait to gather in Hubei, composing a new chapter in cross-Strait cultural exchange.
This year’s festival, themed I·Vision, symbolizes I for individual perspective, Love for connection, and Vision for boundless horizons. Over the five-day carnival, a series of activities unfolded: the Creative Blind Box ice-breaking launch, academic exchanges sparking ideas, the 48-Hour Extreme Shoot inspiring creativity, and the Creation Sharing & Award Ceremony celebrating glory. More than 600 outstanding works from across the Strait, rooted in Chinese culture, infused with the warmth of everyday life, and elevated by technological innovation, explored new dimensions of visual expression through the integration of AI and filmmaking, showcasing the youthful dreams and relentless pursuits of creators from both sides.
The debut Creative Blind Box Challenge stood out as a highlight. Three teams, formed through random theme envelope draws and a puzzle-piece friend-finding activity, embarked on missions centered around cultural flavor, everyday vitality, and technological vibe. They visited Wuhan landmarks such as Jingyi Glasses, Old Hankou Tea Factory, Xian'an Fang, Luobo Kuaipao Smart Mobility Valley, and Fengke Robot R&D Center, completing short video creations within 48 hours. At the opening ceremony, Vice President He Huigang used the puzzle metaphor to encourage young participants to deepen friendships through collaboration, capture genuine emotions through their lenses, and witness integration through their youth, becoming ambassadors of cross-Strait cultural exchange and resonance, and injecting youthful energy into the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
On November 9th, the Creation Sharing & Award Ceremony commenced in an atmosphere blending technology and humanity. Attendees included Cheng Liangsheng, Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Hubei Provincial People's Government; Gao Yiyong, Secretary of the University Party Committee; Zhang Danqing, Deputy Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of Hubei Provincial People's Government; Vice President He Huigang; Standing Committee Member Xu Chuanhua; Chen Dunliang, Chairman of Hubei Film Association; Tong Jiangnan, Council Member; Guo Xiaoping, Vice Dean of the School of Journalism and Information Communication at Huazhong University of Science and Technology; and Wu Zongjian, Chairman of the Taipei Micro Film Producers Trade Union. Together with over a thousand students, media representatives, and creators, they witnessed the announcement of the awards.
In his speech, Gao Yiyong emphasized the hope that young teachers and students from both sides of the Strait would use the Golden Swallow platform to delve deeper into Chinese culture and jointly create more works of taste, style, warmth, sentiment, and power. The university remains committed to serving the broader cause of Taiwan-related work, deepening cross-Strait exchanges, creating opportunities for youth employment and entrepreneurship, and making Golden Swallow a cultural symbol of integrated cross-Strait development, helping young people from both sides pursue, build, and realize their dreams at Hubei University of Economics.
Wu Zongjian noted that micro film and video creation not only connects academia and industry but also bridges the hearts and minds of young people across the Strait, hoping that Golden Swallow will continue to serve as a bridge of friendship and culture. Cheng Liangsheng officially declared the award ceremony open. Best Director Award winner Tang Renqian shared his insights on I·Vision, while Taiwanese youth Xue Jiayu and our student Cheng Ziyan recounted their collaborative experiences in the Creative Blind Box Challenge.
Since its launch in April, this year’s festival received over 600 submissions from more than 40 universities across the Strait, including 203 from Taiwan. After evaluation, 60 works were shortlisted, with Crying in the Drizzle winning the top Golden Swallow Award. One Night in Taipei and Crossing Mountains and Rivers Together received the Silver Swallow Awards, while Silent Counting, Lift, and Jiang Jiang were honored with the Bronze Swallow Awards. Individual awards such as Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Sound Design, Best Short Video, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director were also presented. The Creative Blind Box Challenge unit featured unique awards like the Ultra-Rich Culture Award, Ultra-Resonant Connection Award, and Ultra-Playful Technology Award, celebrating the diverse creativity of young participants. A Taiwanese youth involved in the blind box challenge reflected emotionally, From drawing the theme to collaborating with mainland partners, this experience allowed us to feel mutual understanding and closeness within our shared cultural heritage.
The ceremony also featured promotional videos of Hubei and the university, as well as the festival’s thematic film. An AI robot served as a special host, partnering with a human counterpart for interactive prize draws, presenting Wuhan-themed cultural and creative gifts. Students from the university dazzled the audience with an opening dance performance, Waiting for Your Answer, and concluded the event with the song and dance finale, Sea of Youth.
Since its inception in 2014, the Golden Swallow Cross-Strait Micro Film & Video Festival has attracted tens of thousands of young talents from over 500 universities across the Strait, receiving nearly 7,000 submissions and shortlisting nearly 400 works for competition. It has become a vital brand for cross-Strait youth cultural exchange. The festival encourages young people to document the landscapes, cultures, technologies, and growth stories of both sides through film, sharing authentic narratives of integrated development and showcasing the forward-looking spirit of the new generation.