Hong Kong Arts Centre’s IFVA Awards Celebrate a New Generation of Filmmakers

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For a pulse-check on the state of regional cinema, one is advised to turn to the forthcoming edition of IFVA — Hong Kong Arts Centre’s annual  independent short filmmaking awards. After a “reflective” fallow year, a record 690 filmmakers from across Asia submitted works to the 2026 festival — the result is a bumper edition showcasing more than 70 of the best entries over 10 days of screenings, showcasing short films across mediums including animation, video and visual media.

Reflecting the here and now is a new AI Creation award — surely an unthinkable honour when the awards were founded back in 1995. Also new for 2026 is a partnership with Korean short-film streaming platform MovieBloc, presenting winners from the past two editions to online viewers — streaming free until 27 September. 

As well as ticketed daily screenings from 9-23 October, the 30th IFVA Festival Symposium will address two hot topics, on 19 and 22 October, ahead of the closing awards ceremony on 24 October.