SILK ROAD INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (13)

영화제 시작: 19 9월 2026      영화제 끝: 23 9월 2026

The Festival, established in 2014, is a comprehensive international film festival that implements China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It aims to use films as a bridge to inherit the spirit of the Silk Road, promote Silk Road culture, enhance people-to-people connectivity and cultural exchanges among countries and regions along the "Belt and Road", build an international platform for the exchange and cooperation of Chinese and world films, and promote the prosperous development of the Chinese film industry. As a key part of the Silk Road Film and Television Project, it is hosted alternately by Shaanxi and Fujian provinces each year.

Best Film;
Best Director;
Best Screenplay;
Best Actress;
Best Actor;
Best Cinematography;
Best Artistic Contribution;
Jury Prize;
Best Documentary Film;
Best Animation Film.

The 13th Silk Road International Film Festival
Competition Regulations

ARTICLE 1

These regulations apply to the films submitted to participate in the Competition Section of the 13th Silk Road International Film Festival (hereinafter referred to as “the Festival” or “SRIFF”).

ARTICLE 2

The Festival, established in 2014, is a comprehensive international film festival that implements China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It aims to use films as a bridge to inherit the spirit of the Silk Road, promote Silk Road culture, enhance people-to-people connectivity and cultural exchanges among countries and regions along the "Belt and Road", build an international platform for the exchange and cooperation of Chinese and world films, and promote the prosperous development of the Chinese film industry. As a key part of the Silk Road Film and Television Project, it is hosted alternately by Shaanxi and Fujian provinces each year.

ARTICLE 3

The 13th SRIFF will take place in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China in September, 2026.

ARTICLE 4

1. The films participating in the awards are categorized by film types including feature films, documentary films, and animation films.

2. The Competition Section will establish the following awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Artistic Contribution, Jury Prize, Best Documentary Film, and Best Animation Film. Concurrently, the Organizing Committee shall confer the 'Lifetime Achievement Award for Cinematic Arts' upon filmmakers who have made outstanding contributions to the film industry."

3. The International Jury is composed of domestic and international film experts invited by the Festival. The selection results will be announced during the Festival's Closing & Awards Ceremony, where certificates and trophies will be presented to the winners.

4. Juries must not have any affiliations with the production or commercial development of the competing films. They should not have any interests or relationships with the investors, production teams, or distributors of the participating films. Juries are required to ensure their independence in decision-making, free from any external influences, to uphold the principles of objectivity, fairness, and impartiality in the award selection process.

ARTICLE 5

1. Only films that meet the following conditions are eligible for selection:

1) Feature films or animation films of not less than 70 minutes;
2) Documentary films of no less than 60 minutes;
3) Films completed after January 1, 2025;
4) Priority will be given to films premiering globally and internationally;
5) All films with dialogue in languages other than Mandarin must be accompanied by English or Chinese subtitles;
6) Films from China must obtain the approval by China Film Administration.
7) The screening format should be DCP (Digital Cinema Package).

2. The Festival’s Executive Committee reserves the right to reject any films that do not fully comply with the above conditions, as well as any works that do not adhere to China's national laws and cultural policies.


ARTICLE 6

1. Starting from May 12, 2026, applicants can register online through the official website (www.xasriff.com of the Festival) and fill in the information for the film entry. The deadline for film submissions is 24:00 on July 10, 2026;

2. The Festival accepts sample films in the form of mobile storage media (including DVD discs, USB drives, external hard drives, etc.) or online viewing links;

3. The sample version format must meet the following standards:

1) Video files are limited to MOV or MP4 format,
with a resolution of 1920×1080 or higher;
2) File size should not exceed 5GB;
3) If the dialogue in the film is in a language other than Mandarin, it must be accompanied by English or Chinese subtitles;
4) If a screen watermark is needed, please label "SRIFF Review" in the top right corner. Additionally, there should be no other watermark marks on the screen to avoid affecting the preview for evaluation.
5) The submitted sample version must match the actual film. Entries with discrepancies between the sample and the actual film will be disqualified from the competition.

4. For sample files submitted through online links, encrypted links should be accompanied by passwords. Please ensure that the link and password remain valid until at least September 23, 2026, and that there are no restrictions on the number of views.

5. For sample submissions sent by mail, they must arrive at the Festival prior to July 10, 2026, with the arrival time postmark regarded as the arrival time. The sender is responsible for the shipping expenses and associated costs of the samples used for film selection at the Festival. Upon sending the samples, please inform the Festival via email, providing details on the mailing date, contents of the shipment, and the tracking number.

Please send the samples to the following address:
Selection Committee, The 13th Silk Road International Film Festival (SRIFF)
Address: 8th Floor, Qujiang Film & TV Building, No. 1868 Yannan 5th Road, Qujiang New District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
Postcode: 710061
Tel No.: 029-87689680
Email: competition@xasriff.com

ARTICLE 7

1. The Festival will judge films that meet all the criteria, submitted within the deadline, and are eligible. It reserves the right for the juries to receive films in any manner, channel, or process at any time, including ways, channels, or processes not specified in this document. The Festival has full autonomy in the judging and selecting films.

2. The Festival’s staff will contact senders of the shortlisted films to inform them of their inclusion. Prior to the official announcement of the shortlist, the senders are obligated to maintain confidentiality. If any of them violates the aforementioned agreement, resulting in serious adverse consequences, the responsibility lies with the sender, and his/her shortlisting status will be revoked.

3. Senders of the shortlisted films will receive an official shortlisting notice along with a film information form. Senders are required to send back the receipt and film information form via email within five working days. Once this receipt is received by the Festival’s Executive Committee, it means that the invitation has been accepted. The sender is not permitted to unilaterally retract the film for any reason. If any sender requests to withdraw the film, the Executive Committee has the authority to decide whether to accept based on the actual circumstances.

ARTICLE 8

1. After receiving the notification of inclusion, senders of the shortlisted films are required to submit the following materials within the specified timeframe:

1) Promotional materials: synopsis, stills, posters, trailers, film clips, director’s biography, director’s photos, information of creators in chief, etc.;
2) DCP copy (in compliance with the Festival’s technical standards of digital copies) and KDM are necessary for ticketed screenings during the Festival. For shortlisted films with non-English dialogue, the sender must provide a complete English subtitle copy DCP. For Chinese films with dialogues in minority languages or dialects, the sender must provide a DCP with both Chinese and English subtitles;
3) Regarding the online link for the sample film to be judged by the International Juries, the film must be accompanied by English subtitles. (Please ensure that the link and password are set to remain valid until no earlier than September 23, 2026);
4) English dialogue/subtitle scripts.

2. Senders of the shortlisted films agree that the Festival has the right to publicly utilize the films’ texts, images, music, footage, and other materials for festival promotion, events, and Closing & Awards Ceremony.

ARTICLE 9

1. The Festival will cover the logistics cost, customs fees, and insurance fees for DCP copies of the shortlisted films sent to the specified address in the specified manner as well as their storage fees during the Festival. If the sender chooses to use a different shipping method, the Festival will not cover any related costs and will not be responsible for any issues that may arise as a result.

2. From the arrival of the copies of the shortlisted films in Xi’an, China (the location of the Festival) to their departure, if any damage or loss occurs, the Festival will reimburse the cost of producing a new copy based on the current standard manufacturing price at the copy’s place of origin.

3. After the Festival concludes, the Festival’s Executive Committee will return the DCP copies to the addresses provided by senders of the shortlisted films, and the costs will be covered by the Festival.

4. No materials other than DCPs will be returned.

ARTICLE 10
The Festival will assess the situation to determine its ability to accommodate guests. If feasible, the creators in chief of the shortlisted films may be invited to attend activities of the Festival.

ARTICLE 1

1. Registering for the Festival automatically entails observance of the present Regulations.

2. The parties (including but not limited to producers, distributors, or related parties) who submit films to the Festival must guarantee that the submitted film has obtained consent from the film copyright owner, collaborators, and other film authorized agents, and they have read, understood, and agreed to the terms. In case of any rights infringement, the sender shall bear all resulting consequences.

ARTICLE 12
This document is interpreted and revised by the Festival’s Executive Committee. In case of different interpretations, the Chinese version shall prevail. The Executive Committee has the right to handle matters not covered in this document. If you have any questions about the terms of this document, please send an email to competition@xasriff.com.