The 10th Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards (IFVA) has received more than 100 applications for its youth category - the highest since 2001.
And the growing interest in film- and video-making among young people is reflected in the quality of their work, according to the organisers.
'The jury feels that young people now are very familiar with the [film or video] medium. But their style - such as their handling of music and images - tends to be more mainstream,' said Sarah Cheung, IFVA project officer.
Everlasting is a short romantic video by 18-year-old Chester Ng King-yeung, a member of independent film website umovie.net and one of 10 finalists in the youth category.
King-yeung's experience in directing advertisements and music videos shows in Everlasting, which stands out with its slick editing, well-designed shots and neat storytelling.
'A love film must have a slow tempo. But a shot cannot be too long, otherwise it would be boring,' Chester said.
Other young film-makers also showed a remarkable knowledge of mainstream stylistic conventions.
