A report on FIRST International Film Festival and an interview with young filmmakers

The FIRST International Film Festival is an annual grand event for young Chinese film professionals who have just started their careers as film directors. Its current development situation highlights the festival’s importance in the pandemic context. This article is comprised of interviews with attendees at the festival, especially the competitors, and provides a lens through which to interrogate how Chinese young film professionals as neophytes adapt to the post-pandemic environment of the Chinese film industry. By seeking their views on film production, distribution and the festival, this article aims to reveal the state of the film industry during the pandemic and in the post-pandemic period, the current living situation of young Chinese film professionals, how these film professionals connect with the industry and market and how these connections impact on their filmmaking practices.