Other than the awards, plans for a series of projects aimed at developing cinematic exchanges among the eight SCO member states and four observer nations were unveiled.

The Beijing Film Academy, one of China's top film schools, launched a training program offering scholarships to young filmmakers from the SCO member countries to study cinema in China. Operating under a quota system, the scholarships will be offered annually over the next three years.

The China Film Co Ltd, the country's largest State-owned studio, launched a project to invite movie regulators and industry insiders from the SCO states to attend seminars aimed at introducing the Chinese movie industry and showcasing its latest filmmaking technology.

The latest SCO project was also unveiled at the film festival. A coproduction between teams from China and Pakistan, The Journey is a film inspired by a true story that took place on the Karakoram Highway, one of the world's highest paved roads, constructed by the two countries.