FIRST International Film Festival, Xining, China

What FIRST International Film Festival, Xining, China does

FIRST International Film Festival is a private non-profit cultural institution founded in 2006 at the China University of Communications and headquartered in Beijing, with its primary festival operations held annually in Xining, Qinghai Province. It operates a dual-festival platform: the flagship FIRST International Film Festival (FIRST影展) focused on discovering and promoting emerging Chinese-language filmmakers, and the parallel Fantastic Film Festival (惊喜影展) launched in 2021 in Chengdu, which integrates film, music, art, and technology with genre and experimental programming. The platform encompasses four competition sections (Main Competition, FIRST FRAME for female-centered narratives, FIRST PIONEER for experimental work, and Short Short Film for under-5-minute works), industry services (Financing Forum, Industry Screenings, Documentary Lab), and production cultivation programs (Training Camp, Public Programming, 300-Punch development scheme).

The organization's technology infrastructure consists of an online submission and registration portal supporting film competition entries, project financing applications, industry screening submissions, documentary lab entries, and training camp registrations, with document upload and tiered payment processing. A newer experimental unit, UNTITLED未命名单元, curates AI-generated video, game engine content, and interactive media, positioning FIRST at the intersection of independent cinema and emerging AIGC workflows in partnership with PixVerse. Distribution spans Weibo, Douyin, Bilibili, Zhihu, Douban, and Xiaohongshu for audience engagement, and the organization maintains a merchandise storefront (FIRST BANBAN).

Revenue is derived from tiered submission fees (50-980 RMB depending on category and timing), accreditation fees for media, market, public education, and observation guests, brand partnerships (with vivo as Principal Partner, CHANEL as Co-Partner, and additional partners including Nespresso, BYD, Sony, SIGMA, Tencent Video, and iQIYI), and merchandise sales. The festival is self-funded with no disclosed equity funding and operates with a lean 8-person core staff supplemented by volunteer networks, having showcased over 10,000 films from 50+ countries across its 20 editions.

Name

FIRST International Film Festival, Xining, China

Legal name

FIRST International Film Festival Committee

Website

https://firstfilm.org.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FIRST International Film Festival is a private non-profit cultural institution founded in 2006 that operates a dual-festival platform (Xining and Chengdu) discovering and promoting emerging Chinese-language filmmakers through competitions, industry financing, training programs, and an experimental AIGC unit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival and Cultural Event Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAD

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

SECONDARYMPAGAGAB

Professional & Association Conferences

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

Keywords

• Film festival services
• Filmmaker development programs
• Film industry screenings
• Film project financing
• Public film programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Entry/Registration Fees: The festival charges tiered registration fees for film submissions (early bird, standard, and late periods), training camp applications, project entries for financing forum and industry screening. Fee structure varies by submission type and timing.
2. Sponsorship and Brand Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships from strategic partners like vivo (principal partner), CHANEL (co-partner), Nespresso, BYD, and others. Includes brand value presentations, official partner programs, and FIRST MART official lead partners.
3. Festival Merchandise (FIRST BANBAN): Festival-branded merchandise including souvenirs sold through the official website storefront.
4. Accreditation and Attendance Fees: Guest accreditation fees for media guests, market guests, public education guests, and observation guests attending the festival.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The organization operates an annual film festival in Xining and a year-round slate of programs that discover, train, and connect emerging filmmakers with industry, media, and audiences. Core offerings include a Main Competition, parallel Fantastic Film Festival, targeted competitions (FIRST FRAME, FIRST PIONEER, Short Short Film), documentary and acting labs, a Training Camp, an ultra-short film development program, a Financing Forum, Industry Screenings, public screenings, and an in-house AIGC (UNTITLED) exploration unit.

Product overview

FIRST International Film Festival operates as a comprehensive dual-festival platform consisting of the annual FIRST International Film Festival (held in Xining, July 17-25, 2026 for its 20th edition) and the parallel Fantastic Film Festival (held in Chengdu). The platform encompasses four main competition sections: Main Competition, FIRST FRAME, FIRST PIONEER, and Short Short Film (ultra-short films under 5 minutes). The industry segment includes the Financing Forum (film project financing), Industry Screenings (market screenings), Documentary Lab, and the 300-Punch Ultra-Short Film Development Program. Production cultivation initiatives feature the Training Camp (offering training in directing, producing, cinematography, art, sound, and editing) and Public Programming (year-round screenings). The Fantastic Film Festival includes specialized units such as the UNTITLED unit (AIGC-focused experimental creation), Type Film Lab, FIRST ONE Actor Lab, and Red Mirror Short Drama Plan. Additional services include online registration systems, media services, and FIRST BANBAN merchandise store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 青年电影展 (FIRST IFF): The main youth film festival segment featuring competition sections, screenings, financing forum, and industry activities.
• 惊喜电影展 (Fantastic Film Festival)
• FIRST FRAME她的一帧
• FIRST PIONEER先锋创作
• 超短片 (Short Short Film)
• 创投会 (Financing Forum)
• 产业放映 (Industry Screening)
• 训练营 (Training Camp)
• 纪录片实验室 (Documentary Lab)
• UNTITLED未命名单元
• FIRST ONE演员实验室
• 类型片实验室 (Genre Film Lab)
• 300击·超短片发展计划

Quantifiable outcome

• Filmmakers who premiered at FIRST have gone on to achieve commercial theatrical releases and international festival success
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

33 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BYD (比亚迪)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Official Car partner providing transportation for festival operations, including special screenings like 'FIRST x 比亚迪特别展映'.
• Great Wall (长城)minorOthers · 1 January 2025Official Wine partner providing wine for festival events and hospitality.
• VOSSminorOthers · 1 January 2025Official Water partner providing bottled water for festival venues.
• NespressocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner providing coffee and hospitality services for festival events and guests.
• CHANELcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-Partner supporting the festival's brand initiatives and creative programs.
• vivocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Principal Partner and strategic partner. Vivo has been supporting FIRST since 2020, providing smartphone equipment for the ultra-short film competition and the vivo mobile creation award for films shot primarily with Vivo devices.
• Mahua FunAge (开心麻花)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIRST MART Official Partner and Fantastic Lab Partner. Major Chinese comedy film production company supporting genre film development.
• iQIYI (爱奇艺)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIRST MART Official Partner and streaming platform supporting film industry activities.
• Tencent Video (腾讯视频)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Partner supporting film market activities and content distribution.
• SonycoreTechnology or IntegrationCamera Equipment Partner for Training Camp, providing professional cinematography equipment for filmmaker training programs.
• SIGMAcoreTechnology or IntegrationLens Device Support partner providing camera lenses for production.
• DZOFILMcoreTechnology or IntegrationLens Solutions Support for Training Camp providing specialized lens equipment.
• Nan Guang (南光)coreTechnology or IntegrationLighting Systems Support partner providing professional lighting equipment for film production.
• Blackmagic DesigncoreTechnology or IntegrationColor Grading Equipment Support providing post-production equipment for filmmakers.
• HAF (Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Partner Institution providing international film financing connections and industry network support.
• Berlin International Film FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Partner Institution facilitating international film festival connections and filmmaker exchanges.
• Institut FrançaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Partner Institution supporting French-Chinese film cultural exchange.
• Goethe InstitutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Partner Institution supporting German-Chinese film cultural exchange.
• NFTS (National Film and Television School, UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Partner Institution supporting film education and training exchange programs.
• PixVerse (拍我AI)coreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial AI Content Co-Creation Partner for UNTITLED AIGC unit, supporting AI-generated content creation.
• Douyin (抖音)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Short-Film Platform partner for the First Discovery Night exclusive collaboration, distributing short-form film content.
• BilibilicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Video Platform partner for youth-focused content distribution and audience engagement.
• Xiaohongshu (小红书)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeep content cooperation platform and FIRST Documentary Lab Partner targeting young female audiences.
• Weibo (微博)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLead Media Partner providing social media marketing and brand visibility amplification.
• Zhihu (知乎)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Deep Q&A platform partner for in-depth content discussions and knowledge sharing.
• Douban (豆瓣)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrincipal Film Culture Platform partner for film community engagement and reviews.
• MODERN SKY (摩登天空)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMusic Experience Partner for Fantastic Film Festival providing music and cultural event collaboration.
• GreenpeaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable Development Partner supporting environmental initiatives at the festival.
• Sofitel XiningcoreOthersOfficial designated hotel hosting festival guests, press, and industry attendees during the event.
• Qinghai Grand TheatrecoreOthersOfficial venue for festival screenings, ceremonies, and industry events.
• GIADAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal Partner for Fantastic Film Festival in Chengdu, supporting the genre film focused event.
• MaxTimes Pictures (麦特)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIRST MART Official Lead Partner supporting film market activities and industry networking.
• LiANRAY Pictures (联瑞影业)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIRST MART Official Partner supporting industry screening and distribution connections.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Shanghai International Film Festival: One of the largest A-list film festivals in mainland China, accredited by FIAPF. Comparable as a major Chinese film festival, though it operates more as a global showcase compared to FIRST's emerging-talent focus.
• Beijing International Film Festival: Major A-list film festival based in Beijing, sharing geography with FIRST's headquarters. Both are major Chinese film festivals, though BJIFF focuses on global releases while FIRST focuses on emerging Chinese filmmakers.
• Tokyo International Film Festival: Major Asian A-list film festival held in Japan, comparable to FIRST in regional cinema focus but with a more global release orientation. Serves a similar industry and audience profile in the region.

Direct peers

• Sundance Film Festival: U.S. festival founded on the mission of supporting independent and emerging filmmakers with a strong industry/programming arms (labs, financing, market). First fest is most directly comparable globally by mission and operational model.
• Pingyao International Film Festival: Chinese film festival founded by Jia Zhangke and focused on debut and emerging filmmakers from China and Asia. Closest direct peer by mission (youth-talent discovery), geography, and scope, with overlapping industry and funding programs.
• International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR): European festival known for discovering emerging and experimental filmmakers, with industry programs including CineMart. Comparable to FIRST in supporting independent and experimental cinema and operating industry/market arms.
• SXSW Film & TV Festival: U.S. festival with a strong discovery mandate for emerging filmmakers integrated into a broader festival with music, technology, and gaming (similar to FIRST's Fantastic Film Festival structure). Both serve as discoverers of new talent.
• Locarno Film Festival: European festival renowned for discovering emerging and auteur filmmakers, with industry programs (Open Doors, StepIn). Comparable to FIRST as a discovery-focused festival with strong training and industry components.
• Busan International Film Festival: Asia's leading film festival held annually in Busan, Korea, with a strong focus on emerging Asian filmmakers and a parallel industry/market platform. Most directly comparable to FIRST in terms of scale, regional focus, and industry integration, and is a partner institution.
• Hong Kong International Film Festival Society: Long-running Hong Kong-based film festival with HAF (Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum) where FIRST is a partner institution. Directly comparable as an Asian film festival with industry financing and screening components.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xweibo.com/p/1002062295091411
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-international-film-festival-xining-china

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FIRST International Film Festival, Xining, China