On October 13, 2024, the 19th China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival, organized by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio and Television, Communication University of China, and iQIYI Technology Co., Ltd., concluded successfully. The event was co-organized by the School of Animation and Digital Arts at Communication University of China, iQIYI Animation Channel, the Education Committee of the China Animation Association, and the Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Animation Technology.
The award ceremony for the [Aniwow!2024] 19th China (Beijing) International College Student Animation Festival was held on the morning of October 13 at the Tianning No. 1 Cultural and Technological Innovation Park. Key figures in attendance included Li Zhongzhi, Director of the Publicity Department of the National Radio and Television Administration; Ma Xinming, Deputy Secretary of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Executive Vice Chairman; Zhang Xiaojia, Member of the Standing Committee of the Xicheng District Committee of the CPC and Minister of Propaganda; Zhang Su, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Radio and Television; and many others, including notable educators and representatives from various institutions.
Yang Yi, Vice President of Communication University of China and member of its Party Committee, delivered a speech. He introduced the basic situation of this year’s festival and summarized the achievements of the university in animation and digital media education. He emphasized that the annual festival serves as an important platform to review the educational accomplishments of the university's animation and digital media programs. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the university, and it aims to enhance its sense of historical mission in building a strong nation and further consolidate experiences, unify thoughts, gather consensus, and boost efforts to contribute to the development of the Party's propaganda, ideological, and cultural endeavors.
With guidance from higher authorities such as the National Press and Publication Administration, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, and the Beijing Municipal Government, the festival's call for works has become more extensive, and the exhibition activities have become richer, discovering and cultivating many outstanding young animators. This has improved the productivity, originality, and influence of China's animation art and promoted the development of relevant disciplines and professional education in higher education institutions. The festival has become one of the important engines for practicing cultural innovation, deepening cultural exchange and mutual learning among different regions and countries, and promoting the prosperity of animation art. This year, two new awards were established: Best Application of Artificial Intelligence Technology and Best AI-Generated Work, reflecting the animation industry's embrace of new technologies and its forward-looking stance in the intelligent media era.
The Baiyang Award student competition section included categories for animation, comics and picture books, and digital media art, receiving 676 excellent works from 143 universities across 17 countries. After online registration, a preliminary selection, and a final evaluation by an international jury, 16 awards were given, including the Best Chinese Animated Short, Best International Animated Short, and Best Animated Short by iQIYI, encouraging young creators in animation and digital media to uphold ideological leadership, adhere to original spirit, and strengthen artistic ideals.
Cai Zhijun, General Manager of CCTV Animation Group and Executive Vice President of the China Animation Association, delivered a speech. He pointed out that animation, as a means of creating images, possesses strong virtual characteristics. Digital animation, which deeply integrates with interactive art, digital games, and virtual reality, showcases these characteristics vividly and has become one of the most imaginative media. The college student animation festival has always been an important platform for discovering animation talent and promoting the development of animation art. Students from around the world gather here with immense enthusiasm, creativity, and imagination. As the new generation of animators, these participants uniquely understand animation art, skillfully apply AIGC technology, and innovatively express traditional culture, injecting new vitality and momentum into the industry.
Mohamed Ghazala, Vice President of the International Animation Association, and Lee Ting-min, Professor at the Korea National University of Arts, both conveyed their messages to the festival via video and in-person speeches.
All awards, including the “Baiyang Award” and “Jinhua Petal Award,” were announced during the award ceremony.
All awards, including the 'Baiyang Award' and 'Jinhua Petal Award,' were announced at the award ceremony.
In Group A for animation works, “No Pass” won the Best Chinese Animated Short Award, “Sewing Love” won the Best International Animated Short Award, “Round Table Dilemma” won the Best Animation Director Award, “L'Animal Sauce Ail” won the Best Animation Story Award, “Stitching Time into Clothes” won the Best Animation Visual Style Award, “From Yeondoo” won the Best Character Animation Award, “Paumo D'amour” won the Best Music and Sound Award, “Round Table Dilemma” also won the “iQIYI Jinhua Petal” Best Animated Short Award, “Qianqian and Damao” won the Best Character Design Award, and “Dream of Mali Lian” won the Most Market Potential Award.
Li Zhongzhi, Director of the Publicity Department of the National Radio and Television Administration, and Zhang Xiaojia, Minister of Propaganda of the Xicheng District Committee of the CPC, presented awards to the winners of the “Baiyang Award.”
In Group B for comics and picture books, “Demon Hunting” won the Best Comic Award, and “Stitch by Stitch” won the Best Picture Book Award.
In Group C for digital media art, “Light Spirit” won the Best Game Award, and “Gongchi Liusheng” won the Best Interactive Work Award. The newly established awards for Best Application of Artificial Intelligence Technology and Best AI-Generated Work were won by “Story Tavern” and “Little Diary,” respectively.
As a special unit of the “2024 Beijing Animation Week,” the animation festival committee organized “1+5” academic forums, bringing together renowned artists from the China Animation Association and Shanghai Animation Film Studio, as well as well-known scholars from Peking University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Communication University of China, and Central Academy of Fine Arts. They discussed various topics such as creative ideas, industry development, technological frontiers, talent cultivation, cultural exchange, and academic research, collectively exploring high-quality development paths for Chinese animation. Additionally, the festival committee invited experts and professors from domestic and foreign universities to conduct four Think and Share animation masterclass courses.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. The animation festival also collaborated with the French Cultural Center to launch the “China-France Student Animation Joint Exhibition,” showcasing nominated works from Chinese and French institutions and inviting creators from both countries for interactive exchanges. An international animation school screening was also held, successfully inviting works from the National Film School in Lodz, Poland; the SHAR Studio in Russia; and Effat University in Saudi Arabia, presenting distinctive styles from different countries.
The 19th China (Beijing) International College Student Animation Festival has concluded in the golden autumn of October. Looking ahead, the festival will continue its mission to promote the vigorous development of Chinese animation, encouraging student animators to closely integrate artistic expression with traditional culture and contemporary styles, creating more excellent works with ideological depth, artistic height, and cultural richness, unleashing their creativity, showcasing their talents, and contributing to enhancing the originality and international influence of Chinese animation and advancing the Party's propaganda and cultural initiatives.
