A new round of the Looking China Youth Film Project was launched on Wednesday at Beijing Normal University, bringing together young filmmakers from nearly 40 countries to explore and document their cultural experiences across China.

Sponsored by the BNU Huilin Foundation and hosted by the Academy for International Communication of Chinese Culture (AICCC), the program invites participants to produce 10-minute short films that reflect their unique perspectives on Chinese culture. Each international student is paired with a Chinese volunteer to foster cross-cultural collaboration and understanding among younger generations.

During the 17-day journey, participants will travel to different cities across the country, immersing themselves in local traditions, communities and stories. The films they produce will cover a wide range of themes, from folk arts and heritage preservation to modern societal changes.

One such participant is Akshay Gouri, an Indian student from the University of Melbourne in Australia, who will head to Guangdong province to document Chaozhou music, a fading folk art. A former musician himself, Gouri said he hopes to use his short documentary to help preserve the traditional music form that he feels is "losing touch with modern society."

Gouri previously joined the project last year and won First Prize at the 11th Looking China Golden Lenses Award with his film Delivering Justice, which followed a district court judge in Beijing working to mediate neighborhood disputes in their homes.

"This is a unique concept and I think countries like India can also follow, so that people have easier access to law and justice," he said, adding that collaborating with the judge was an impressive experience for him as a first-time visitor.

The Golden Lenses Award ceremony was held on the same day as the project launch, recognizing outstanding contributions in categories such as Best Internet Reach, Best Cultural Discovery and Film of the Year.

Cristian Federico, a Second Prize winner from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, reflected on his award-winning film Sewing Confidence, which portrayed the dedication of a qipao artist and highlighted the rich textures of traditional Chinese culture.

"People are the heart of cultural exchange," Federico said. "I didn't want to show the 'typical' China. I wanted to capture its genuine essence." He also encouraged more international youths to visit China and challenge common stereotypes by experiencing the country's diversity firsthand.