Festival participants pose for a group photo. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Pingtan In Moments Film Festival 2026 was held from Sept 9 to 12 in Pingtan county, Fujian province, attracting young filmmakers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait and around the world.

The festival's main short film competition received 2,703 entries from 410 universities worldwide, including 183 entries from 33 universities in Taiwan, with both figures reaching record highs. The festival also featured a 72-hour filmmaking challenge, a young filmmaker development program and an AIGC filmmaking category.

For the first time, the main competition included a Minnan (southern Fujian) dialect category, which received 221 entries from Fujian, the Chaoshan region in Guangdong province, and Taiwan. Ten films advanced to the final round, with three recognized as outstanding works.

A film merchandise shop at the Pingtan IM Cinema. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Xiamen University joined the festival as a co-organizer this year. The festival also established a dedicated venue spanning more than 1,000 square meters in Taiwan Town, housing the Pingtan IM Cinema, a themed exhibition hall and an immersive cultural space.

The Fujian Provincial Film Administration also launched a 2026 integration program to cultivate young film talent from Fujian and Taiwan, providing support to up to three selected projects.

Since its founding, the festival has provided more than 10 million yuan ($1.49 million) in funding for young filmmakers, helping build a platform for cross-Strait cultural exchange.