• The “International Film Camp 2026,” fully sponsored by Sands China, held its awards and closing ceremony at The Londoner Macao.
• After five days of intensive training and professional mentor guidance, an expert panel selected eight outstanding short film projects from among 16 participants.

Organized by the Asian Film Awards Academy and fully sponsored by Sands China, the “International Film Camp 2026” (IFC) held its awards presentation and closing ceremony at The Londoner Macao on 22 September.

After five days of intensive training and professional mentorship, an expert panel selected eight outstanding short film projects from among submissions by the 16 participants, with each chosen producer receiving HK 300,000 in production funding.

This marks the third consecutive year that Sands China has thrown its full support behind the programme. By bringing this exchange platform – connecting internationally experienced filmmakers with emerging Asian talents – to Macau, the company seeks to promote the professional and international development of the local film industry, while enhancing the city’s global cultural presence.

This year, the film camp received over 450 applications. Following expert review, 16 emerging filmmakers were selected from Mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan to take part.

The program returned to The Venetian Macao and maintained its strong roster of instructors, inviting multiple international veteran filmmakers as mentors and speakers, including Roger Garcia, renowned film festival executive and director of the IFC; Fala Chen, actress, writer and director; and Gordon Lam, actor, writer, and producer. Within the theme of “When Strangers Meet,” mentors delivered a series of masterclasses and thematic seminars – helping participants gain deeper insight into film production, industry operations and market practice.

On the awards day, Fala Chen and Gordon Lam delivered a “Closing Masterclass,” moderated by Hong Kong director and writer Sunny Chan. The session drew on the speakers’ wealth of experience in acting and film production, as they shared stories from their creative journeys with guests and film camp participants.