How a short-film festival and growing locations business is putting Macao on the map

Located on the south coast of China, the autonomous region (and former Portuguese colony) of Macao may be small, but it is mighty, establishing itself as an increasingly big player on the international filmmaking landscape.

This was evident at the second edition of the Macao International Shorts Film Festival (MISFF), which ran from September 14-21, showcasing the growing pool of local filmmaking talent from the region, as well as promoting Macao as an international co-production hub and shooting location.

Co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR government (Special Administrative Region) and Galaxy Entertainment Group, the festival launched in 2024 with a view to connecting the international market with the Asian market, taking advantage of Macao’s geographical location and distinct cultural identity.

The 2025 edition of MISFF showcased 60 films from 31 countries, and hosted a series of industry events, including forums on emerging market trends and ways to build bridges between local and international industries.

“The festival has demonstrated the need for this kind of intersection point between new film talent in East and Southeast Asia and their counterparts throughout the world,” explains Jason Anderson, chairperson of the International Advisory Board of MISFF, who is also a programmer at TIFF.

“To be able to cultivate this place where so many ideas, perspectives and stories can be shared and exchanged feels incredibly vital to the future of the art form”, he adds.

French director Guil Sela’s No Skate! took home the best short film award at the festival, whilst Palestinian filmmaker Tawfeek Barhom received the best director award for I’m Glad You’re Dead Now. The film also won the short film Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival this year. 

Meanwhile, 10 local films competed in the Macao Shorts section, with Macao filmmaker Chan Siieong picking up the Macao Unit Award for Waves Under the Sea and Granny Pirate 3: Typhoon Again, directed by Vitty Ho Wai Tong, receiving a jury special mention.

The growing number of local filmmakers emerging from the region is indicative of a blossoming Macao film and television industry, which has been made possible by the SAR government’s decision to support the local industry actively and attract international shoots.

The Cultural Affairs Bureau has launched several funding initiatives and is placing a greater emphasis on film production at local universities.

“This is the first time I have attended such an impressive short film festival,” explains Vietnamese director Pham Thien An, who was on the jury for the festival’s Official Competition section. “I found the number of films very rich and in my opinion, Macao has a lot of potential for future development.”

“If the festival keeps on working on that level, it can grow into one of the more known names on the short films festival circuit,” adds Icelandic director Gunnur Martinsdottir Schluter, who sat on the Macao shorts jury.

Macao’s partnership with the Venice Film Festival this year has been instrumental in helping to promote the 2025 edition – as well as the region’s local filmmakers – on the international scene.

As part of the collaboration, the Giornate Degli Autori sidebar featured a special Macao Day, which included the screening of four short films by Macao-based filmmakers - Waves Under The Sea by Chan Si Ieong, Chuff Chuff Chuff by Chao Koi Wang, Dirty Laundry by Maxim Bessmertny and animation Mui by Wong Weng-chon.

Additionally, Screen International hosted a round-table event in Venice, sponsored by Galaxy Entertainment Group, discussing Macao’s emergence on the international stage as a potential location for film shoots and co-productions.

Meanwhile, attendance in Venice also led to Portuguese directors Joao Pedro Rodrigues and Joao Rui Guerra da Mata being invited to attend MISFF as special guests, helping to promote the region’s cultural ties with Portuguese-speaking countries.

“It is another great step towards establishing Macao both as a place for international filmmakers to show and shoot their work and as a place that is actively developing a new generation of film talent with their own stories to share,” says Anderson.

With the continued support of the Macao government, MISFF is set to become an increasingly important international platform for the directors of short films.

“This edition offered the audience a feast of visual artistry with thought-provoking content,” says Leong Wai Man, president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau.

“We will continue to support the short film production and promote the development of Macao’s film and TV arts, striving to establish the MISFF as a benchmarking platform for global short film production and exchange.”

Contact: Jenny Ip, info@macaoisff.com