SHENZHEN, China, June 4, 2025 -- The 2025 International Image Culture Week kicked off in Shenzhen with the highly anticipated 2025 SmallRig Awards Ceremony, where 22 prestigious awards were presented to exceptional global creators.
The 2025 International Image Culture Week covers three main sections: 2025 Visionary Storytellers Industry Forum, SmallRig Awards Ceremony, and public image experience activities such as The Social Impact Image Pitching Sessions, Filmmaking Class. As one of the core events of this year's International Imaging Culture Week, the SmallRig Awards Ceremony saw creators and guests from around the world dressed in elegant attire. The international judging panel, headed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ruby Yang, made a full appearance.
Out of 3,891 submissions from 120 countries and regions, a distinguished international jury led by Oscar-winning filmmaker Ruby Yang selected the winning works across 22 categories, including 12 Bronze, 5 Silver, and 2 Gold Awards, as well as the Emerging Talent Award, Audience Choice Award, and Outstanding Achievements Award.
Zhou Yang, the founder and CEO of SmallRig, Leqi Innovation, shared the inspiration behind establishing the SmallRig Awards. "This award belongs to all those who believe in the transformative power of visual storytelling and strive to make a difference through their work. We aim to foster ongoing creativity, communication, and sharing of social impact stories through visual media." The SmallRig Image Development Fund will also be launched to promote the creation of meaningful content, facilitate exchange, and connect creators with impactful initiatives.
Additionally, Xi Zhinong, a globally renowned wildlife photographer, gave a keynote address titled "Presence Is a Photographer's Duty." With four decades of field photography experience, Xi spoke about the critical importance of being on-site to capture the truth of nature. Xi called on photographers to uphold professional integrity and use their craft to preserve nature: "The power of images in nature conservation lies in being present and telling the truth."
Following the awards, the event hosted a global roundtable series titled "Dialogues on Social Impact Images." Two themed discussions, "The Power of Storytelling in Social Impact Images" and "See It, Change It: The Potential of Impact Visuals", included prominent guests such as Ruby Yang, filmmaker Gu Tao, German documentary award-winner Uli Gaulke, as well as scholars, authors, and media leaders from China and abroad.
The event also marked the launch of the SmallRig Social Impact Media Alliance, a global initiative uniting prominent media organizations to co-create, distribute, and incubate impactful visual content.
Moreover, the Social Impact Image Pitching Sessions have successfully gathered 124 proposals from creators across more than ten countries, such as China, US, Belgium, etc. These submissions feature a rich array of 18 series, 53 short films, and 53 feature films, focusing on different topics such as disability care, ecological protection, and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, all presented through various formats, including documentaries, animation, and experimental films.
To recognize excellence, the sessions awarded prizes to the top 10 works, while the esteemed Chinese independent film streaming platform CathayPlay has introduced the CathayPlay International Communication Honor at the event.
About SmallRig
Founded in 2013, SmallRig designs and builds complete accessory solutions including camera and phone rigs, battery, tripod and video light for content creation. SmallRig's accessories are widely used in live broadcasting, vlogging, professional video production, and other fields supported by over two million creators worldwide. SmallRig pioneered the User Co-Design (UCD) approach and the DreamRig program, with the ultimate goal of co-designing alongside global creators to help turn their dreams into reality.
For more information, visit https://www.instagram.com/smallrigcinema/
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