The film festival is scheduled to be held in Dubai from April 10th to 14th, 2026. The festival innovatively adopts a dual-track model of “film festival + industry expo,” simultaneously establishing special support funds to build a platform that focuses on young creators, connects global film and television resources, and integrates art and culture, providing a stage for young filmmakers to grow and showcase their talents.

The organizers jointly launched the “Golden Orchid Project,” with a total scale of US$10 million, using capital as a link to focus on promoting the international incubation of high-quality film and television projects and helping young creators realize their cinematic dreams. As the highest honor in the film festival’s project pitching unit, the “Golden Orchid Award” will focus on outstanding film and television projects that reflect the friendship between China and the UAE and are filmed in the UAE, providing comprehensive funding and resource support to selected projects and helping them reach the international stage.

Shan Zhidan, Secretary-General of the Asian Filmmakers Association and Founder and Executive Chairman of the Asian International Youth Film Festival, stated that the festival’s core mission is to build a global exchange platform and promote the high-quality development of the film and television culture industry by supporting young film and television practitioners. “Using cultural diplomacy as a link, and through the format of a film festival, we are building a cultural bridge connecting Asia and the world. We not only discover outstanding young filmmakers and support high-quality cinematic ideas, but also dedicate ourselves to helping valuable film and television projects achieve global dissemination, allowing the voices of Asian youth to be heard worldwide.”