By valuing sincerity over polish, the Ginkgo Festival empowers young filmmakers to tell personal stories and discover their creative voice on an international stage.

Like many teenagers, Ren Zimeng has experienced the ups and downs of friendship. Last year, a conflict caused a rift between her and a close friend, and the two stopped speaking for months before finally reconciling through a heartfelt birthday message.

Instead of leaving it behind, the 16-year-old student at The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University turned the experience into something more: she adapted the story into a script and made it into a short film titled Your Parrot, Too.

The 12-minute piece was shortlisted at the inaugural Ginkgo Youth Film Festival, part of the Beijing International Film Festival, which runs from April 16 to 25.

The Ginkgo Festival will host its award ceremony and sharing sessions on April 25, where Ren's work will be showcased alongside those of young creators aged 6 to 18 from 95 countries and regions.

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Reflecting on the four months spent making the film, Ren described the process as both challenging and rewarding.

"Some emotions and thoughts are difficult to express in daily life, but through film, they can be transformed into images, sounds, fleeting glances, and moments of silence," she said.

More importantly, filmmaking has taught her to observe. "My film teacher encouraged me to pay closer attention to the world around me. To capture authenticity, I began noticing details I once overlooked," she said.

For example, she saw how a roadside stall owner leans on his tricycle in a daze when closing his shop and how her friend fidgets with the edge of the table when nervous — a detail she later included in her film.

"Film has made me more sensitive and thoughtful, allowing me to see a richer layer of the world," she said.

The Ginkgo Festival celebrates the sincere and unfiltered expressions of young people. According to Tu Lin, the festival organizer, it features five competition sections: International, Narrative, Documentary, Animation, and AIGC (AI-Generated Content), as well as a specially created "Sprout Section" that best embodies youthful creativity.

"Young creators often have limited resources and may lack access to professional equipment or experienced crews. This section doesn't demand commercial or industry-standard quality but values the unique personal voice of young filmmakers," she said.

Tu added that the International Section enables youth from around the world to connect and "see each other". This year, the festival received 1,879 entries, including 1,512 international films. The festival has also fostered ties with schools in Portugal, Greece, and other countries through its call for films.

According to Zhao Baowei, vice-principal of The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, which hosts the Ginkgo Festival, the number of overseas film submissions greatly exceeded expectations. "This is a truly international film festival belonging to young people," he said.

Li Sixue, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Arts at Peking University and a film journalist and critic, served as a re-examination judge at the Ginkgo Festival, reviewing 17 international films.

"Overall, I was very pleasantly surprised," Li said. "Some films are not only mature but even superb."

What impressed her most was the diversity of themes. Some filmmakers created documentaries with strong social awareness, such as one from Greece depicting how industrialization has altered the lives of local fishermen. Another film focused on African immigrants in Indonesia, exploring their identity challenges.

"I initially thought children's lives were relatively simple, revolving around school and family. However, their social landscape is quite open, and they are interested in a wide range of topics," Li noted.

The films also featured diverse forms of expression. Li highlighted two works by students from Soares dos Reis Art School in Portugal.

One, titled Tope, blends hand-drawn animation with footage of the filmmaker's late father to commemorate him. "The story is touching, and the form is innovative," Li said.

The other film, titled The Elephant in the Room, is experimental and avant-garde, using dyed and distorted shots to depict a girl's fantasy of becoming a mermaid. "It has a very personal style," Li said.

Beyond the films themselves, the festival also raises broader questions about how to nurture young creators.

In Li's view, young people first need a better understanding of how the film industry works. Online courses or videos can introduce them to different roles in filmmaking and possible career paths.

She also believes fostering creative thinking is vital. "Many young people in China, raised in a meritocratic environment, often seek the 'right way' to do things, which can stifle imagination," she said. "Filmmaking can stimulate creativity and transform ideas into reality."

Li also stressed the importance of cultivating aesthetic appreciation. "Expose children to quality work so they can recognize what is truly good," she said.

She noted that there are very few domestic film festivals with an international focus specifically for young people. As visual education is a gradual process that should begin early, the Ginkgo Festival has stepped in to fill this gap.

As an educator, Zhao has a clear vision for advancing film education for teenagers. His school has developed a comprehensive program that includes courses, hands-on practice, and presentations.

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In the first year of both junior and senior high school, students participate in film training and workshops. By their second year, they create short films in class. The school's own short film festival, now in its 12th year, serves as a platform for showcasing students' work, while the Ginkgo Festival offers a broader stage.

For young people interested in films, Zhao emphasized the joy of pursuing personal passions.

"Exploring your hobbies and talents and doing things that reflect your own value is the happiest thing in the world," he said.

Li offered more direct encouragement."Don't extinguish the fire in your heart. If you dare to dream, take action," she said.

Ren is already planning her next step. This September, she will begin applying to universities, aiming for the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California in the United States.

"I want to be a filmmaker," she said."Being young doesn't mean you can't make something powerful."

Contact the writers at guiqian@i21st.cn