Asian Short Film Fund 2025
The Asian Short Film Fund (ASFF), a new collaboration between Hong Kong International Film Festival and Nowness Asia, is now open for submissions.
The ASFF is the highlight of events co-hosted by HKIFFS and Meta Media Group to celebrate the intertwined histories of the Hong Kong International Film Festival and City Magazine, both founded in 1976.
The ASFF invites aspiring directors and producers to submit short film proposals. Ten shortlisted projects will participate in an online open-pitch session in early August 2025. Following the pitch, representatives from three selected projects will be invited to attend one-on-one meetings with the mentors, with the results announced later that month.
Applications should meet the following selection criteria:
- The applicant must be the copyright holder of the submitted proposal or an authorised representative;
- Project duration must be between 5 and 20 minutes, with a director and a producer (or executive producer) representing the proposal;
- All genres are welcome, including fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental;
- The project should demonstrate artistic value and potential for innovation in cinematic language;
- Only original short-film proposals;
- Applicants must have previously completed at least one short film as a principal creative and provide links to that work.
The fund
Three selected projects will receive up to 35,000 USD in funding, mentorship from experienced Asian filmmakers, and support for script development and production. The completed films will premiere at the 50th Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF50) in 2026. ASFF will provide round-trip travel (home country–Hong Kong) and hotel accommodation for one representative of each selected project based outside Hong Kong.
Asian Short Film Fund 2025 application guidelines
Deadline: 15 June 2025