The 5th “Beijing - A Global City” Short Video Contest, hosted by the Office of Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Foreign Affairs Office of the Beijing Municipal Government, officially kicked off at the Beijing Film Academy Huairou Campus on April 28. The event is supervised by the Bureau of Public Information and Communication of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, and the Department of Press, Communication and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is organized by the Beijing Office of CNS International Communication Group.
The launch ceremony also served as a campus outreach event. Outstanding instructors and judges from previous editions were invited to the Beijing Film Academy for interaction with students and faculty. This year’s edition emphasized youth engagement, professional craftsmanship, and global perspectives, introducing Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) technology for the first time. Participants are encouraged to leverage new technologies and explore fresh perspectives to create innovative, tech-savvy, and stylish short videos.
A Global Perspective: Telling the Story of a Transformative Era through Small Lenses
As a flagship initiative for shaping and promoting Beijing’s image as a global city, the “Beijing - A Global City” Short Video Contest has been held for five consecutive years. It has attracted creators from more than 100 countries and regions since its inception, collecting nearly 1000 submissions. Works span themes like urban renewal, payment facilitation, and improvement of an international language environment, highlighting the city’s progress in the new era and achievements in enhancing its role as the center for international exchanges. With diverse perspectives and engaging storytelling, the contest has received positive feedback from the public. Justyna Szpakowska, a Polish media planner who has served multiple times as an instructor and judge, remarked, “From international students’ vlogs to the foreign executive’s video ‘Twelve Chinese Zodiac Hours of Beijing’, every frame captures cross-cultural dialogue.”
Warm Response at the Launch Ceremony
This year’s contest continues the dual-track solicitation, inviting both individuals and organizations worldwide to submit videos within five minutes on themes such as “New Scenes of International Exchanges” and “Decoding Urban Innovation”. Participants can submit their entries by posting videos on Kuaishou or WeChat Channels with the hashtag #北京·国际范儿2025# (#Beijing - A Global City 2025#) and sending the high-definition source files along with a brief description to the organizing committee at beijingaglobalcity@163.com (click “Read More” below for the full Submission Guidelines). The organizing committee will invite a panel of experts to evaluate the submissions. Winning entries will receive production grants and promotion across domestic and international media platforms.
Letters of Appointment Presented to Judges
Innovation-Driven Approach: AIGC Empowers Creation
Along the Yanqi Lake in early summer, AI-generated short films reinterpreting iconic Beijing landmarks such as Beijing Daxing International Airport and the CBD skyline were showcased at the Black Box Theater. Scenes of robot marathons and autonomous driving unfolded on screen, creating a captivating, tech-infused vibe. This year’s contest encourages creators to use AI-assisted editing, virtual scene construction, and other cutting-edge techniques to produce works that blend cultural depth with futuristic vision, sparking lively discussions on site.
“Short video creation has entered an era of intelligent innovation,” said Jia Ting, Associate Professor at the Photography Department, Beijing Film Academy. “With the help of AIGC, participants can transcend traditional narrative frameworks, using algorithms to decode the city’s cultural DNA and revitalizing the global image of this ancient capital through digital technologies.”
Sharing of Insights by Outstanding Instructors and Judges
Youthful Creativity: Unlimited Imagination from Campuses
When telling Beijing’s story to the world, particularly regarding its global image and international environment, young people often serve as a wellspring of creativity. This year’s contest featured a campus outreach campaign to involve university faculty and students in shaping the city’s narrative as a global metropolis. Xu Jin, Lecturer of the School of International Culture and Communication, Beijing City University, shared her insights on the formula for viral content through the lens of “empathy, youth appeal, and tech empowerment”. She noted, “Whether it’s about the perseverance of entrepreneurs in Zhongguancun or the cultural fusion in a hutong café, authentic emotional connection is the true ‘universal language’ that transcends linguistic barriers.”
In addition to signature activities such as theme-based video production and on-site shooting, the contest will, for the first time, launch a “Campus Creative Video Season.” This initiative will bring international influencers and veteran media professionals into university settings to host AIGC workshops and cross-cultural narrative camps, inspiring young people to create compelling stories with global appeal.
University Students and Faculty Engaged in Q&A Session
Whether vertical or horizontal, each frame can capture the pulse of city landmarks and reveal the evolving splendor of Beijing, the capital of China. The Short Video Contest is open to all Beijing residents, international friends who love the city, as well as institutions based in Beijing. The goal is to uncover heartwarming stories and record memorable moments during international exchanges, celebrating Beijing’s role as the center for international exchanges on the new path to Chinese modernization. “Short videos are the international language of the new era,” said an official from the Beijing Foreign Affairs Office. “Through this event, we hope to better present Beijing’s high-level opening up and high-quality development, translating the city’s brilliance into tangible, relatable, and symbolic visual narratives.”
Event Snapshots
From now until November 15, creators worldwide are invited to join this six-month-long visual storytelling journey to hit the “record” button and jointly shape the new narrative of “Beijing - A Global City” for 2025.
Participants of the Workshop for Heads of Media Affairs of Global Political Parties also attended the launch ceremony.
