（Hong Kong – 30 March 2026）Founded in 1995 by the Hong Kong Arts Centre, ifva is thrilled to announce the official launch of the new Independent Short Film & Media Art Awards.

ifva remains dedicated to empowering the next generation of storytellers and is celebrating its 30^th edition this year with fresh initiatives:

Continuing its categories — Open, Animation, Youth, and Asian New Force — calling for outstanding short films and animations from Hong Kong and the Asian region.

The 30th ifva is also responding to the changing landscape of short film development by introducing AI Creation -- which welcomes works produced with AI to challenge creative boundaries.

New awards for Tertiary Students -- awards have been re-established for Hong Kong and overseas Tertiary Students in both short film and animation categories. These make ifva a visionary platform that keeps pace with the times.

Renowned Judges

The judging panel for the 30th ifva Awards is comprised of influential people from the film, animation and multimedia arts industries. Among them are: Mr Andy Lau, Winner of Best Actor of Hong Kong Film Awards, and the Founder of Infinitus Entertainment Limited and actor-producer; Ms Polly Yeung, producer of the Hong Kong-produced animation masterpiece with Hollywood and Japanese animation elements Another World (2025); Mr Terry Lam, co-writer of A Guilty Consciences (2023), the first Hong Kong film to gross over HKD100 million; Mr Victor Wong, visual effects director and renowned award-winning multimedia artist (Hong Kong Film Awards) along with many other bigwigs from film, animation and multimedia arts.

This edition of ifva also invited several jury members from abroad. They include Mr Sébastien Simon, filmmaker and programmer of the Busan International Short Film Festival; Ms Leong Puiyee from Singapore, the Programme Head (Film) of Objectifs Centre for Photography and Film; and Ms Wang Chi-Sui from Taiwan, Programme Director of the Taichung International Animation Festival and Executive Curator of the Kuandu International Animation Festival. For the full jury panel list, please refer to appendix 1.

Ifva has long been a leading platform for nurturing emerging creative talents across Hong Kong and Asia. Over the years, it has supported countless influential filmmakers and media artists through its competition. Motivated by a commitment to innovation and diversity, ifva continues to evolve, promoting the culture of moving images and expanding the horizon of creative media.

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