24 Hour Short Film Competition

Cinema World Magazine in collaboration with TRIHD ASIA Media Company and C.UP Academy of Cinema and Media organizes the Media24H Production Race, a short film making competition for students and young people who love cinema.

Launching the "Media24H Production Race" contest. (Photo: Organizing Committee)

This year, the competition attracted 56 teams from universities, colleges and independent film groups to compete, becoming one of the largest youth creative events of summer 2025 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Participating in the competition, each team must produce a short film under 5 minutes long with each main stage from script to production and post-production in just 24 hours.

At the Media24H Production Race, the difficulty lies in the challenge of production speed.

The competition is divided into three stages: Script Round, Production Round, and Final Round. In the production round, each team must complete four tasks: a creative check-in photo, a short vertical video to promote the film, a behind-the-scenes video, and the main product - a short film between 3 and 5 minutes in length.

The 10 films nominated for the final round will be announced via trailer on the official fanpage, of which the 5 best works will be screened at the Gala Premiere and Awards Night with professional award categories.

The contest attracted a large number of young people to participate.

This year, the contest has the theme “Saigon Vibe”, encouraging young people to tell stories about culture, history and national identity in a contemporary context, thereby spreading the spirit of pride, preserving and developing Vietnamese identity through each film.

Ms. Hoang Thi Thanh Hang, Head of the Organizing Committee, President and CEO of TRIHD ASIA Media Company, shared: “Gen Z has many creative advantages, but lacks space to express them. They love their homeland, but do not know how to express it. MEDIA24H 2025 is an opportunity for them to tell the story of Vietnam in their own way - through cinema, through technology, through emotions”.

The teams participated in the plot draw.

During the plot drawing and production round rules announcement, each team was randomly drawn a "plot assignment" and required to develop it into a short film within 24 hours. This is different from other short film competitions, creating many unexpected twists, promoting creative improvisation and unique storytelling thinking.

From 56 competing teams, the 45 teams with the best results were selected to continue.

Talking about the results of the script qualifying round, journalist-film critic Hoang Tuan, Editor-in-Chief of Cinema World Magazine, Head of the Jury of the Media24H Production Race 2025, shared: "The jury highly appreciated the diversity of genres, performance styles and messages that young people conveyed through each story."

The jury consists of many experienced experts.

The jury of the competition includes experienced experts such as producer-media expert Hoang Thi Thanh Hang; journalist-film critic Hoang Tuan, director Dung Nghe; director-DOP Nguyen Tuong Nguyen Phuong; screenwriter Nguyen My Trang; actress - Meritorious Artist Kim Tuyen; actor Doan Minh Tai, screenwriter-producer Kay Nguyen, journalist Truong Kieu Nga - Head of Children's Department, Ho Chi Minh City Television.

The contest has a total prize value of up to 650 million VND for the awards of Best Short Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, and Most Favorite Film.

The team that wins the Best Short Film award will receive a 3-day, 2-night trip to Singapore to produce a film in an international environment, the award is fully sponsored by Furen International School - a prestigious international educational institution in Singapore. In addition, they will receive a Commemorative Medal from the Organizing Committee and a scholarship for an English course at WESET English Center worth 15 million VND/person.

The professional awards (Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Most Favorite Film) each receive 2 million VND in cash, a Commemorative Medal from the Organizing Committee and an English course scholarship at WESET English Center worth 10 million VND/person. In addition, all contestants of the final round teams will receive a course scholarship at C.UP Academy of Cinema and Media worth 5 million VND/person/course and a Certificate from the Organizing Committee.

The Premiere and Award Gala will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 20 at IDECAF Stage, 31 Thai Van Lung, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City.

HA CHI

Source: https://nhandan.vn/thi-sang-tao-phim-ngan-trong-24-gio-post893630.html