Beijing International Film Festival Photo: VCG

The Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) will introduce a Virtual Reality (VR) Film Competition Unit for the first time at its 16th edition in 2026, marking a significant step toward immersive and technology-driven storytelling.

By adopting a broader international perspective, the 16th BJIFF, which is scheduled to run from April 16 to 25, will build a bridge for dialogue ­between Chinese cinema and the world, showcase the diversity of global film cultures, facilitate efficient connection of industry resources, and promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, organizers told the Global Times on Monday.

Commencing on the scenic shores of Yanqi Lake in the capital's Huairou district, the festival features the Tiantan Awards competition for international films, premier screenings, BJIFF forums, the College Student Film Festival and the Film Carnival among other cultural activities. 

For the first time, the festival will organize a dedicated VR film competition unit and a non-competitive screening section. The competition unit will provide a platform for officially licensed VR film creators to showcase their immersive cinematic works that combine storytelling with VR technology, He Yuxin, an organizer of the competition, told the Global Times on Monday. 

In the 2025 edition of BJIFF, Palace Banquet in Tang Dynasty became China's first officially certified VR film. This not only marked the gradual maturation of VR film technology beyond the experimental stage, but also signaled that the film industry was entering a new era, the People's Daily Overseas Edition reported. 

The competition unit aims to select benchmark works in China's VR film industry from both technological and artistic perspectives. The non-competitive section is designed to invite submissions from creators around the world by widely collecting high-quality immersive works that demonstrate mature technical and artistic standards and expand the boundaries of human perception, according to the organizers.

Different from traditional films, VR film viewers typically wear VR headsets to enter a 360-degree environment, which enable them to look around and experience the narrative space from within the story. This creates a more immersive form of storytelling where the audience becomes an active observer inside the scene, the report said. 

Meanwhile, the festival will continue to encourage college student creators and award outstanding immersive works for a second year, He said. 

The college awards have called for submissions from college students across the country since November, aiming to discover and recognize young creators with outstanding technical capabilities in the field of immersive imaging, and to jointly open a new chapter for immersive media and future storytelling, the organizers said. 

It also complements other innovation-focused programs at the festival, such as its AIGC (AI-generated content) film unit, which explores AI-assisted filmmaking.

Now in its third year, the AIGC Unit will center on the principle of the "Dual Drive of Technology and Art," fostering a new synergy between AI film creation, exchanges, and industry development. "By harnessing creative talent from around the world, we aim to position China as a birthplace and leader in AIGC filmmaking, empowering every creator to leverage AI and craft innovative light-and-shadow narratives for our era," the organizers said.

More than just a grand gathering for the film industry, BJIFF is also a citywide celebration open to all visitors and residents. Guided by the magic of cinema, the festival brings together a wide array of activities from film screenings and garden-style exhibitions to diverse cultural experiences, allowing movies to step beyond theaters and blend into the vibrant life of the city. Visitors in Beijing during the city's most beautiful April days can enjoy spring outings, admire blooming flowers, and explore the ancient capital while immersing themselves in the charm of cinematic art, unlocking a one-stop experience that is as engaging to watch as it is to explore and feel.

During the 2025 festival, Norwegian film Loveable swept four top honors at the Tiantan Awards ceremony.