1.Annual Section: The World’s Spotlight, Witnessing the Shenzhen Miracle 

Capture Shenzhen's charm from an international perspective and tell its growth story through vivid videos. The city's scientific innovation vitality, openness, natural landscapes, humanistic character, and livability are all captivating scenes that deserve to be seen by the world.

Against the backdrop of the 2026 APEC "China Year," this section invites creators worldwide to create Shenzhen-themed short video works. Submissions may focus on themes such as scientific and technological innovation, openness and empowerment, the city surrounded by mountains and seas, cultural trends, and livable environment, showcasing Shenzhen's urban charm and the vitality of the Greater Bay Area through diverse lenses.

2.International Co-Creation Section: My China-Africa Story

The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa, and is also the "China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges." China-Africa cooperation has entered a new stage of all-around, high-quality development. In August 2026, the Competition launched the "Our Vision, Our Story: China-Africa Youth Short Video Co-Creation Project" in Kenya, encouraging Chinese and African youth to see each other's real lives and cultural landscapes through their lenses, and to discuss cooperation and development from a youthful perspective.

3.Key Section: China's Development, Global Opportunities

Observing China from a global perspective and telling China's story in an international way. The vivid stories of every city and village are not only vivid illustrations of the Chinese modernization but also compelling narratives that tell the world about China's development.

This section is open to professional teams such as government publicity departments, domestic and international media outlets, and film companies, calling for foreign-language short videos covering content such as cultural heritage, tourism, economic development, scientific and technological innovation, civil life, fashion trends, etc.

4.Enterprise Section: New Quality Image, Global Brands

Chinese enterprises that go global and foreign-funded enterprises in China serve as front-line windows for the world to understand China, and are also important carriers for promoting people-to-people exchanges and presenting Chinese culture.

This section is designed particularly for Chinese enterprises going global, foreign-funded enterprises in China, and new quality image-related enterprises, widely collecting foreign-language short videos documenting Chinese enterprises' overseas expansion, foreign-funded enterprises' deep-rooted development in China, collaboration between Chinese and international employees, ESG practices, and people-to-people exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

5.We-Media Section: Documenting Life, Discovering Happiness

With individual perspectives, unique observations, and the power of audience engagement, we-media influencers have witnessed and recorded of our changing times, as well as an indispensable force in online communication.

This section is open to short video vloggers and MCN teams worldwide, as well as foreign individuals and overseas Chinese communities in related fields, inviting a wide range of foreign-language short videos related to China.

6.University Students Section: By the Youth, to the Future

As internet users and passionate creators of short videos, Chinese and international university students offer distinctive insights and attitudes toward China and the world. They are participants, witnesses of China's development and China-foreign people-to-people exchanges in the new era.

This section primarily targets Chinese and international student creators and teams from universities and colleges around the world, soliciting various foreign-language short videos related to China.

7.International Promotional Video Section: Vision of China, Essence of the East

Promotional videos serve as vital carriers of cross-cultural communication and premium audio-visual language for showcasing image and conveying the vitality of development to the world, capable of conveying the unique charm of a nation, a city, a company, or an event through powerful imagery and symbolism.

This section is primarily open to government publicity departments, central and local media outlets, Chinese enterprises that go global, foreign-funded enterprises in China, and other relevant institutions and creator teams, calling for a wide range of foreign-language promotional video submissions.

 Prizes

(I) Outstanding Awards (70)

10 winners per section, 70 in total, and each winner will receive a certificate.

(II) Best Videos (35)

5 winners per section, 35 in total,  and each winner will receive a certificate, trophy, and a cash prize of 3,000 RMB.

(III) Best Foreign Language Videos (5)

Five awards will be presented for the best short films in foreign languages, including but not limited to English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic, selected from all submitted entries, and each winner will receive a certificate, trophy, and a cash prize of 3,000 RMB. The specific language categories will be determined based on the entries received that year.

(IV) Best Single Awards (4)

Four specialized awards will be given: Best Video Host, Best Videography, Best Video Series (submission of 3 representative episodes), and Best International Communication, selected from the list of outstanding works, and each winner will receive a certificate, trophy, and a cash prize of 3,000 RMB.

(V) Best New Quality Image Awards (5)

Five awards will be presented for the Best New Quality Image, selected from all submitted entries. These awards recognize outstanding works that embrace the concept of new quality image development, are created using next-generation intelligent imaging equipment, feature AI-driven technology and digital imaging innovations, and combine technological texture with cultural depth. Each winner will receive a certificate, trophy, and a cash prize of 3,000 RMB.

(VI) Grand Jury Prize (1)

The Grand Jury Prize will be given to one outstanding work selected from the Best Videos across all competition sections, and the winner will receive a certificate, trophy, and a cash prize of 20,000 RMB.

Requirements

1. The entries should meet at least one of the following conditions:

 (1) With at least one foreigner in the crew, in any position, including host, protagonist or interviewee, director, designer, cameraperson, post-production or other creative roles, etc.

 (2) The topic should be related to cross-cultural communication between China and other countries. All the works should abide by basic rules for international communication in content and narration.

2. No restrictions on participants. Institutions, studios or individuals are all qualified to participate in the competition. Each institution is allowed to submit up to 20 videos and 5 for each individual participant. For entries submitted as a series or column, please provide exactly three representative works. Each video work is only allowed to participate in one section.

3. No limitations for the genre of videos. For instance, interviews, talk shows, documentaries, vlogs, microfilms, and promotional videos are all qualified. Each video should be within 10 minutes.

4. No limitations for the languages used in the videos. Submissions in all languages are accepted, and works in non-universal languages such as English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic are especially encouraged. A Chinese-English bilingual subtitle is required. A video without Chinese and English subtitles might be disqualified.

5. All videos should be positive; any content related to pornography, violence, racial discrimination, etc., is disqualified.

6. The resolution of the works should be 1280*720 or above. MPG, MPEG, AVI, MOV, WMV, and MP4 are acceptable as video formats.

Submit

The Competition offers two ways for submitting entries. All participants are required to fill out the registration form:

1. Log on to www.mychinastory.com, click on the entry on the home page, fill in the registration form. At the same time, please email your videos as directly attached or via shared link(s) to Baidu or Google Drives (links must be permanently accessible and without password protection) to mychinastory@cnmatters.com. The subject of your email should follow this format: "Participant name—Video title—Section." The text should indicate the contact information. (Please make sure the video title in the email is the same as that in the registration form.)

2.Upload your video to either a personal or company account on platforms such as Douyin, Kuaishou, RedNote, or Bilibili, and add the hashtag#第三只眼看中国 to complete your registration.

Rights and Interests of Participants

1. Participants have the opportunity to be shortlisted for relevant awards and corresponding certificates and/or prizes.

2. Rewarded teams will be invited to attend the award ceremony and related events, engaging with jury experts, networking with content platforms, and sharing their creative insights.

3. The awarded videos stand a chance for massive on-site and media exposure during the ceremony.

4. The awarded videos stand a chance to be featured in thematic short video exhibitions and screenings organized by us at home and abroad.

5. Awarded vloggers and teams may be invited to become signed partners of the competition and will participate in the relevant activities and video projects.

6. Outstanding vloggers and teams may be invited to join the organizer's workshop.

I. Registration Method

(I) Registration Period

From now until 24:00 Beijing Time, September 20, 2026

(II) Registration Process

1. Read the competition instructions carefully. If there are no objections, please click on the [My China Story Competition Registration] link to jump to the page, complete the registration information form, and submit it.

2. Before registering, please prepare the required materials and upload them to the cloud drive in three categories, creating a valid link. Ensure that the link is permanent and place it in the corresponding position on the registration information form.

(1) Main film

① In MP4 or MOV format, duration within 10 minutes.

② The work must have full Chinese and English bilingual subtitles throughout the film.

③ The entire film must have no other watermark marks.

(2) Trailer

① Duration of 30 seconds (must capture the highlights or core viewpoints of the video).

② The format and subtitle requirements are consistent with the main film. Do not add watermarks to the trailer.

(3) Work posters, still photos (5 pieces)

II. Selection Stage

The selection includes three rounds: preliminary, secondary, and final selection. The selection will be conducted by a jury group established by the competition section, and the finalists will be decided. The relevant personnel will be invited by the organizing committee to form the jury group.

The review process will be carried out 1-2 months after the registration deadline. The final winners will be notified and contacted by phone calls, and the official list of winners will be released on the official media platform on the day of the award ceremony.

III. Use of Registration Information and Materials

1. Please fill in the registration information form correctly and completely. The information filled in will be used in various work links such as the shortlist, selection, result announcement, production of the award-winning works manual, and other information disclosures. If there is any error in the information, the responsibility will be borne by the registrant.

2. The "registration contact person" in the registration information form is the primary contact person for subsequent notifications of winning works. Please ensure that the contact phone number and email are correct and unobstructed.

3. After the work is signed up, the information materials involved in the registration form (non-personal information) may be presented in various online and offline media publicity such as the China International Communication Group (CICG) and the official platforms of the competition, the award-winning works manual, etc. The organizing committee has the right to edit, modify, and publicly use the work information and materials presented through the official channels of the competition, including work registration information, posters, stills, trailers, main films, and other related content.

IV. Replacement of Registration Information and Materials

1. After registration is completed, if there is a need to replace the registration information or materials, please send an email to mychinastory@cnmatters.com, and explain the replacement requirements in detail in a comparative way before and after the replacement. The materials can be replaced after the organizing committee's review and approval.

2. If there are subsequent registration materials (such as posters, stills, promotional material packages, awards, etc.) that need to be supplemented, please upload a separate link and place it in the remarks column of the registration form and explain it. The organizing committee will decide whether to adopt and use it according to the specific situation.

3. If the selected version of the registered work is a working version, the registrant can provide the final version after receiving the official notification of the award. The version cannot be replaced during the selection process.

V. Statement

1. The registrant (and the company) must own the copyright or full agency rights of the registered work and ensure that there is no copyright dispute. The music and video images, creative texts, etc., used must have obtained copyright, or have obtained authorization from the copyright owner, or be original and not infringe on the copyright and other civil rights of any third party. The registrant (and the company) is responsible for all infringement responsibilities and compensation for losses caused by copyright disputes regarding the work, which are unrelated to the event organizer.

(1) The registrant (and the company) authorizes the *My China Story* International Short Video Competition Organizing Committee to use the work and grants the Organizing Committee the right to translate, adapt, compile, edit, and exercise other rights to the content of the work (text, pictures, videos, audio, etc.). During and after the competition selection, the Organizing Committee agrees to release the work to its media accounts for promotion and publicity under the premise of marking the work as an award-winning work of the competition and agrees to participate in the competition-related domestic and foreign tours.

The platforms and accounts for the release of the winning videos are as follows:

· Bilibili: 视界中国CM——第三只眼看中国大赛;

· Xigua Video: 视界中国CM;

· 企鹅号 on QQ: 视界中国CM;

· Weixin Official Account: 第三只眼看中国大赛、CICG煦方国际传媒；

· Weibo: 视界中国CM;

· YouTube: China Matters;

· Facebook: China Matters.

3. If any situations are not stipulated in the above rules, the Organizing Committee's final interpretation shall prevail.