On August20,the finals of the6th"Way to Show Your Creativity"Cross-Strait Youth Creative Short Film Contest officially opened in Shenzhen,Guangdong.Twenty outstanding teams from both sides of the Taiwan Strait will compete in a48-hour challenge in Shenzhen,vying for six awards at the awards ceremony on the evening of August23.

The finals of the"Way to Show Your Creativity"Cross-Strait Youth Creative Short Film Contest

The contest,organized by GDToday of Nanfang Media Group and UDN Group.CN,began in March this year with separate launches in Guangdong and Taiwan.Since then,20outstanding teams were selected to advance to the finals.The teams will focus on five designated themes:creation,time,dreams,play,and commitment,and will complete their video works in Shenzhen within48hours.The final results will be determined by a combination of votes from a professional judging panel from both sides and the audience.

Cross-Strait youth signing in at the contest.

"I think this is a great opportunity to interact with peers from Taiwan,"said Shen Feng from Guangdong University of Finance and Economics, who entered the competition with a mindset of learning.He hopes to engage more with other teams while showcasing the beauty of Shenzhen,a modern city,through his video.

"The interesting part of the context is that everyone is giving their all to create something visual.I think creation is a very fulfilling and enjoyable process,"said Xie Chu,a contestant from the Taiwan region,who drew the theme of"time".He believes there are many ways to present"time"through video.For instance,if one of the volunteers assisting the contestants had worked in Shenzhen in their youth,their story from then to now would be an extension of"time".

Contestants drawing video themes.

For Huang Xinhui,another contestant from the Taiwan region,participating in the48-hour challenge is an exciting experiment,and interacting with different people is also interesting.She said,"Everyone comes from different teams,and what we usually film is also different.This time,we can use videos to communicate in different ways."

Chen Yingxi,a contestant from the Guangdong region,finds cultural exchanges between cross-Strait youth meaningful and intriguing.She often engages in video shooting and editing,which made her very eager to participate in this contest.She hopes to"learn more about different cultures and contribute in a small way to cultural exchanges between cross-Strait youth".

Group photo of participating teams.

Since its inception in2018,the"Way to Show Your Creativity"Cross-Strait Youth Creative Short Film Contest has been held for six consecutive years,gaining widespread attention from youth across the Taiwan Strait.Each year,the contest attracts over80universities and more than100film-related clubs and individuals.Throughout the contest,youth from both sides of the Taiwan Strait have not only created outstanding works but also made new friends.The excellent works they produce will serve as bridges,promoting exchange and cooperation between both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Reporter| Wu Caiqian

Editor| Zhang Xuanzhen,Will,James