Eye Catcher Global, Eye Catcher Global 2025, What's New

ECG2025
Open Call for Films Projects: Asian New Director Awards

Eye Catcher Global 2025 (ECG2025) is returning with a brand-new look and content. Ignite the Spark: Authentic Voices, Worldwide Impact!

The Asian New Director Awards this year continues to support filmic expression, imagination, and aesthetics from the Pan-Asian films. Now recruiting first cuts of promising fiction and non-fiction film projects (before premiere)! It is specifically designed for emerging directors from Asia, with at least half of the shortlisted quotas reserved for Chinese-language film projects. Don’t miss this opportunity—we look forward to reconnecting with everyone through the magic of moving images!

Programmer / director from important film festival(s) will be invited to head the jury panel for both Awards! Shortlisted applicants will be invited to the Awards Ceremony and related events, in exchange for ideas with fellow creators and industry delegates. They will compete for prizes and awards, strengthening their connections with the industry and seeking collaboration opportunities for festival participation and distribution.

Important Dates

Submission Deadline: 20 June 2025 (Fri), 11:59 AM (GMT+8:00 Hong Kong Time)
Shortlist Announcement: July 2025
Awards Ceremony & Related Events: Start from August 2025

Awards

  • Each shortlisted film project will receive a certificate.

All Shortlisted Film Projects will compete for

  • Asian New Director Grand Award – HKD 10,000 Cash Prize (approx. USD 1,280)

Basic Rules & Regulations

  1. Asian New Director Awards is one of the ECG2025 events, presented by Eye Catcher.
  2. Submitted film projects must be the director’s 1st or 2nd feature-length film (60 minutes or above).
  3. Submitted film projects have no restrictions on themes or formats, fiction or  non-fiction feature-length films are all welcomed.
  4. To ensure fairness, any juror involved in a submitted film project must declare a conflict of interest and refrain from participating in the judging of that particular film project.
  5. All submitted film projects must comply with the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
  6. The submission deadline is 20 June 2025 (Fri) at 11:59 AM (GMT+8:00, Hong Kong Time). Once submitted, the film project is considered as final for selection and cannot be modified or replaced.
  7. If any applicant or winner is found to have provided false, misleading, dishonest or inaccurate information, or violates any rules or regulations, Eye Catcher reserves the sole and absolute right to disqualify their submission or revoke their award. All decisions made by Eye Catcher are final and binding.
  8. By submitting a film project, applicants agree to abide by all rules & regulations of Asian New Director Awards. Eye Catcher holds the sole and absolute discretion to make final decisions on any matters not covered in the awards’ rules & regulations and application form. Eye Catcher also reserves the right to revise the rules & regulations and forms at any time and to modify the details and arrangements of Asian New Director Awards at ECG2025 without prior notice.

Application Guidelines and Methods

  • No age restrictions.
  • Director(s) of the film project must be national(s) or permanent resident(s) of Asian countries or regions.*1
  1. Nationals or permanent residents must hold a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card or permanent residency rights in the Hong Kong SAR, or a passport or permanent residency under the list of Asian countries and regions taken from the United Nations: https://unstats.un.org/unsd/methodology/m49/#fn1
  • No restrictions on themes or formats.
  • Minimum length: 60 minutes (including end credits).
  1. The Application Fee is USD 10 (approx. HKD 80). This fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.
  2. Identity Document Cop(ies) (Identity Card / Passport) for director(s).
  3. Video Format: (Upload via FilmFreeway with the following specifications):
    a. Resolution: 1280 x 720
    b. File Format: MOV or MP4
    c. Video Codec: ProRes 422 in MOV / H.264 in MP4
    d. Bitrate: 4000 kbps
    e. Size: Maximum 10GB
    f. English subtitles is mandatory 
    g. Vimeo or YouTube links are acceptable for FilmFreeway
  4. Other Documents of the Film Project:
    (Applicants with Chinese-language films must submit materials in both Chinese and English, while others may submit in English only.)
    a. Synopsis (up to 100 words in English and 150 words in Chinese)
    b. Director’s statement (up to 100 words in English and 150 words in Chinese)
    c. Director’s biography and filmography (up to 100 words in English and 150 words in Chinese)
    d. Two posters or stills of your film project. Requirements are as follows:
    – File Format: JPEG/PNG/TIFF at 300 dpi or higher.
    – Please provide 1 landscape and 1 portrait respectively
    e. A director’s photo. Requirements are as follows:
    – File Format: JPEG/PNG/TIFF at 300 dpi or higher.
    f. Distribution Plan
  1.  

Film Project Submission

1. All submissions for Asian New Director Awards must be applied and submitted via FilmFreeway:


2. Applicants must create an account on FilmFreeway by clicking “Sign Up” on the top menu and following the instructions.

3. Applicants must add their submission to the system, please fill in all applicable information and upload the required files. Multiple submissions can be added using the same account.

4. Applicants must upload cop(ies) of identification documents:
a. If the film project is collaboratively created, all director(s) must upload copies of their ID documents.
b. Please upload all copies of identification documents and other supplementary materials via the “Files and Attachment” section in the “View Project” interface.
c. All documents will be used solely for verifying eligibility and will be destroyed after verification.

5. Participants must click “Submit Now” on FilmFreeway, select “Add to Cart and Checkout,” and pay the application fee to complete the process. Incomplete submissions will not be considered eligible.

6. All applications must be submitted by 11:59 AM (GMT+8:00 Hong Kong Time) on 20 June 2025 (Fri). Late submissions or incomplete entries will not be accepted.

Awards Selection

  1. If the film project is shortlisted and / or awarded in Asian New Director Awards, Eye Catcher and its sponsors and partners shall have the right to use the text and images provided by the applicant, for promotional purposes in any and all media. The applicant shall not claim any copyright infringement against Eye Catcher for such usage.
  2. If a film project is shortlisted in Asian New Director Awards, Eye Catcher will screen the film projects to juries ONLY for the selection Asian New Director Award in ECG2025. No premiere or public screening will be held.

【Personal Information Collection Statement】

1. We are committed to protecting your personal data and other information in compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance of the Hong Kong SAR. All of the personal information collected through this application form will be used solely for the purpose of communication and promotion related to Eye Catcher projects. Eye Catcher will not disclose your personal information to any third party.

2. Eye Catcher may use your personal information (including your name, phone number, email address, and postal address) for the purposes of communication, event promotion and gathering feedback through surveys. In accordance with the Cap. 486 Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance which came into effect on 1 April 2013, if you do not wish to receive some or all promotional messages from Eye Catcher, please contact us via email (Email: info@eyecatcherhk.com).

Chinese Version 中文版