International Student Media Arts Festival

The 6th International Student Media Arts Festival (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, 2025) consists of a Media Art Contest (online, Accepts submissions from any university), a 72- HourWorkshop (offline, invited universities only) and Academic Forum for Professors. The event has four sections: short films, animation art, interactive art and AI narrative.Nearly 100 university members from 15 countries of the ISMA International Student Media Arts Association will participate in the event(including 25 members fromrenowned Chinese universities).

2017 1st

2018 2nd

The 6th International Student Media Arts Festival, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam 2025

Since the first ISMA held in Qingdao in 2017, followed by the second edition in Guiyang in 2018, the third in Shanghai-Malaysia in 2019, the fourth at Middle Tennessee State University in the United States in 2023, and the fifth at Kookmin University in Seoul, South Korea in 2024, the International Student Media Arts Festival (ISMA) has successfully organized five editions. The event has attracted participation from nearly 100 international universities across 15 countries. ISMA is committed to fostering creative exchange and cross-cultural collaboration among university students worldwide, emphasizing the role of artistic creation in social responsibility and global sustainable development. Through the Media Arts Competition, the 72-hour Workshop, and the Academic Forum, ISMA provides a platform for students to showcase their talents and exchange ideas.

Amidst the rapid evolution of globalization and technological advancements, ISMA underscores the impact of future media on society, culture, and urban development. The 6th ISMA, to be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, in 2025, will center around the theme “Future Media:"Future Media: Environment, Rivers and People",” encouraging students to explore the relationship between humanity, nature, technology, and society through film, animation, new media arts, and AI-generated works. The event will comprise an online Media Arts Competition, an in-person 72-hour Workshop, and a Professors’ Academic Forum, bringing together global scholars and creators to collectively examine the future trajectory of media.

ISMA is more than just an international exhibition and competition for artistic creation; it serves as a bridge connecting diverse cultures and fostering expressions of creativity. Its mission is to inspire young people to engage with pressing social issues through creative works, facilitate collaboration among international university students, and nurture a sense of responsibility and global perspective. Acting together for a better future has always been the core mission of ISMA.

Organization

Organizer:

Host:

Chief Planner:

President of ISMA

Jianhua Yang

Chief Curator

Phan Quan Dung

Vice President of ISMA

Younghwan Pan

Theme: Future Media:
Environment, Rivers and People

This creation centers on the theme “Future Media: Environment, Rivers and People,” inviting university students to explore the relationship between humans, nature, technology, and urban development through film, animation, new media art, and AI narrative. Rivers carry the legacy of civilization, cities continue to evolve, and technology is reshaping human interaction with the environment. Against the backdrop of climate change and accelerating urbanization, we encourage students to use digital imagery, interactive design, and other artistic forms to explore the symbiosis between people and ecosystems, envisioning the sustainable development of future cities. Let technology and art converge, inspiring deep reflection on the environment, urban spaces, and society, and unlocking endless possibilities for the future world.

Move to Online Workshop

Time

July 24-30, 2025, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Move to Offline Workshop

72-Hour Workshop Invited Universities

University of Buenos Aires

University of New South Wales

Universidade de São Paulo

Beijing Film Academy

Central Academy of Fine Arts

China Academy of Art

Chengdu University

Communication University of China

Central Academy of Drama

Jilin Animation Institute

Fudan University

Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts

Hubei University of Technology

Jiangnan University

Kunming University of Science and Technology

Nanjing University of the Arts

Peking University

Qingdao University of Science and Technology

Sanming University

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Shanghai International Studies University

Shanghai Normal University

Shanghai Vocational College of Transportation

Sichuan International Studies University

South China Normal University

Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts

Tongji University

Tsinghua University

Wuhan Donghu University

Wuhan University

Wuhan University of Technology

Zhejiang University

Université de Paris I

Université Paris VIII

University of Hamburg

Takarazuka University

Okayama University

Kisii University

Taylor's University

Burapha University

Hongik University

Kookmin University

Sangmyung University

Seoul Women's University

American University of Ras Al Khaimah

Edinburgh Napier University

Cleveland State University

Michigan State University

Middle Tennessee State University

Minnesota State University Moorhead

New York University

Savannah College of Arts and Design

The State University of New York at Stony Brook

Duy Tan University Ton Duc Thang Unive

Ton Duc Thang University

Van Lang University

Vietnam National University

Vietnam National University, Hano

Vietnam National University Hochiminh City

Collaborator

CHINA CENTRAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS CITY DESIGN SCHOOL

The City Design School of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts is one of the eight colleges under the Central Academy of Fine Arts. It focuses on urban cultural development and China's urban growth strategy, aiming to establish an innova-tive discipline and education system to address challenges arising from urbaniza-tion. By leveraging the Central Academy of Fine Arts' strengths in art education,creation, and research, the school adopts an open educational model to cultivate professionals who integrate art, design, and market needs. In recent years, the school has collaborated with cities, enterprises, and investment institutions, achieving significant research and design outcomes, and laying a foundation for urban design and innovation studies at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

International AI Art and Contents Association(IAACA)

The International Al Art and Contents Association (IAACA) is a global organization dedicated to the research, sharing, and application of Al-driven art and content.IAACA focuses on various fields, including Al-generated artworks, functional con-tent, entertainment, cultural content, and multimedia creations. The association organizes workshops, forums, exhibitions, competitions, and platform operations to expand the scope of Al in the arts and content industries. By fostering collaboration and innovation, IAACA aims to explore new opportunities and enhance the integration of Al into artistic and creative endeavors.

Chinese American Art Faculty Association (CAAFA)

The Chinese American Art Faculty Association (CAAFA) is a non-profit academic organization in the field of Chinese higher art education in North America. It is an art professor organization registered and officially recognized by the New Jersey and federal governments. It is also an organization that provides a platform for association members to share artistic creation and art teaching experiences, pro-mote exchanges in higher art education between China and the United States, and enhance the international influence of Chinese art professors.

Association International du Film d'Animation(CAAFA)

GD International Art Week

GD International Art Week is held in Guangzhou Nan Fung International Conven-tion and Exhibition Center in May every year. Organized by the Guangdong Interna-tional Art Week Organizing Committee, the exhibition area is over 10,000 square meters. The exhibition is guided by the idea that "academic heights determine commercial heights, and commercial heights promote academic heights.

Xiamen International Animation Festival

The Xiamen International Cartoon and Animation Festival is hosted by the Xiamen Municipal Government, co-organized by the China Representative Office of the International Animation Association (ASIFA-CHINA), and undertaken by the Xiamen International Cartoon and Animation Festival Organizing Committee. The main activities include more than 40 activities such as the "Golden Dolphin" Animation Competition, Animation Works and Technology Exhibition, Animation Forum, and Animation Screening Week. It has become a "platform for professionals to commu-nicate, an annual event for animation enthusiasts, and a carrier for industry docking and investment attraction". It is a well-known exhibition that integrates competi-tions,exhibitions, forums, and investment docking.

International Communication Committee for Visual Art (ICCVA) In affiliation with Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art

Founded in December 2017, the International Communication Committee for Visual Art is an academy of teaching and research affiliated with Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art, with its first council consisting of intellectuals and experts from over 40 universities across China, and its secretariat stationed in Shanghai International Studies University. The goal of the committee is to explore the theory and practice of global visual art communication, promote research and training in the field, and seek global cooperation with professionals and students. The committee encourages the strategy of "bringing in" and "going out" to create a convenient context for a prosperous future of visual art of nations across the world.

Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta, Zhejiang University Future Imaging Laboratory

As one of the future series laboratories under the Innovation Center of Yangtze River Delta of Zhejiang University, the Future Image Laboratory of Zhejiang Universityfocuses on major issues such as image art and technology, virtual reality and metaverse scene development, integrating computer science, artificial intelligence and digital humanities, exploring new ways, new approaches and new scenarios for understanding and developing future images and metaverse scenes, studying thetheory and practice of digital technology image production, virtual industry devel-opment and digital asset research and development, creating a new engine for the construction of Digital China and the international dissemination of digital culture,and fully empowering local propaganda, ideological and cultural construction.

Chongqing Youth Film Festival

Founded in 2014 with support from the Chongqing Film Bureau, Chongqing Federa-tion of Literary and Art Circles, Shapingba District Government, and Sichuan Inter-national Studies University, the Chongqing Youth Film Festival has successfully held 11 editions. Backed by over 200 filmmakers, it features screenings, competitions,forums, and venture capital, hosting nearly 900 events and showcasing over 1,000 films. Notably, it has organized 27 "Belt and Road" themed exhibitions, leveraging Sichuan International Studies University's multilingual strengths, and has become a prominent, internationally distinctive festival in western China.