"The soul of a nation resides in its culture, while the youth stands for its future," said Chen Qigang, president of the Beijing Cultural Development Foundation (BCDF), at the launch of Beijing Youth Fund on Wednesday at the Chaoyang Museum of Urban Planning in Beijing.

"With the fund, we hope to support young and creative practitioners to ensure excellence is thriving in the arts and culture sector."

The fund is a side project of the BCDF and it aims to nurture and guide the younger generations of filmmakers on art and cultural development by offering grants and a variety of training and support.

At the launch, Wang Kai, executive director of Beijing Youth Fund, announced this year's three main programs: The sixth Beijing Youth Film Festival, the "Guanlan Project" on film funding and support, and the ASUS charity film project.

The fund will continue to expand its support to other cultural aspects, including music, dance, theater, arts and design, according to Wang.

One of the most important and formidable parts of filmmaking is paying for it.

"To produce a film and present it to the audience is by no means easy. For young filmmakers especially, it is even too much of a burden to be accomplished," said Liu Kailuo, general convener of the Guanlan Project, in his speech at the event, stressing, "That's why we are here: To provide funding and support for these brave dreamcatchers."

The Guanlan Project is a joint effort of numerous organizations and film production and distribution companies, such as China Movie Channel, China Film Group, Beijing New Film Association, Elemeet Film, and Sea Level Film.

The project is dedicated to empowering the next generation of filmmakers by focusing on their first three works, especially the debuts.

More than a film funding program, it will select 10 films each year, offering substantial grants and in-kind support, namely, marketing strategies and distribution channels, with support from the producers and distributors.

"We found that it is particularly difficult for these directors to get their debut work released. It is often due to financing problems, while sometimes it's about the marketing and distribution. Young directors indeed need more recognition, resources and platforms, which we would have something to do with," Liu told CGTN.

The project is committed to integrating resources and platforms to aid emerging filmmakers on every step of their projects, beginning with the development and funding, through production and post-production and then on to distribution and marketing.

The project also helps filmmakers distribute their films internationally after completion.

"We look for talented directors and pick up great projects, and we have a professional team to recommend them to international festivals, register for some of the foreign awards and further promote their great works," Liu said.

"We hope more viewers can see the young filmmakers' work, and this is what we would like to do," he added.

Also at the ceremony, the Beijing Youth Fund and ASUS Foundation co-launched a charity film project that combines the beauty and power of cinema with social issues and public welfare, and a short film competition based on these values opened on the same day.

The competition is interested in four topics, namely, environment protection, tackling social inequality, defending minority rights, and preserving local cultural heritage, which are named "Pro-environment," "Crossing," "Caring" and "Inheritance," respectively, and all filmmakers, whether they are established professionals or complete amateurs, are welcome to take part.

Zheng Wei, deputy manager of ASUS China Business Department and the co-initiator of the project, said that, "Thanks to the Internet and digital devices, like laptops and mobile phones, everyone is the messenger, and they can also become the sponsor and promoter of the charity."

In the spirit of fostering great works with social impact, the project aims to support talented young filmmakers, whose creations target real-world problems while telling unique stories of artistic expression.

"We hope to reduce the digital gap between urban cities and remote areas through the project, which enhancing understanding, inclusiveness, concern and love among people with different backgrounds," Zheng said, adding, "We believe in the power of the image, the films, to make some changes."