On October 1, 2021, the hottest National Day holiday on record started in Hangzhou. What had been as hot as the weather since September 29 was the 17th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival (CICAF), a six-day event held on the banks of Baima Lake, Binjiang District, Hangzhou. Despite the strict epidemic prevention and control measures adopted by CICAF this year, it still gathered animation enterprises, experts and scholars from all over the country, as well as audiences who dressed in splendid costumes. In addition, Internet users participated in the event online through the Online CICAF platform, live streaming platforms and other channels. This was a grand gathering for the domestic and foreign animation professionals and amateurs under the regular epidemic prevention and control.
On the afternoon of October 4, the 17th CICAF Achievements Summary Briefing was held in Hangzhou. Qi Xiaohu, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, and Director of the CICAF Executive Committee, attended the Briefing and announced the closing of this year's CICAF. The attendees also included the chiefs of the Editor-in-Chief Office of China Media Group (CMG), Zhejiang Branch of CMG, Zhejiang Provincial Radio and Television Administration, and Zhejiang Radio & TV Group, Hangzhou officials Luo Weihong, Hu Wei, Ding Digang and Ye Jianming, as well as heads of Binjiang District and member units of CICAF Executive Committee. Niu Jun, Deputy Chief of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, Director of the Hangzhou Municipal Civilization Office and Secretary General of the CICAF Executive Committee, introduced the achievements of this year's CICAF.
Qi Xiaohu, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, Director of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, and Director of the CICAF Executive Committee, announces the closing of this year's CICAF
Niu Jun, Deputy Chief of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee, Director of the Hangzhou Municipal Civilization Office and Secretary General of the CICAF Executive Committee, introduces the achievements of this year's CICAF
Video Clip of the Achievements Summary Briefing
This year's CICAF is a large-scale cultural exhibition held after the Cultural Work Conference of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee. It represents an exploration and practice of Hangzhou to carry forward the spirit of the Conference, advance the leap-forward development of the cultural industry, and strive to become a model city for Zhejiang's high-quality development and construction of a common prosperity demonstration area. In the six days, around the theme of "Common Prosperity in a New Era - Animation Inspires the Future", this year's CICAF carried out scientific epidemic prevention, effectively controlled the number of participants, streamlined the content while maintaining high quality, and encouraged participants to enjoy the exhibition in a safe, orderly and civilized manner. In this way, the exhibition was a complete success both online and offline.
Centralized Display of Animation Images of Relevant Functional Departments and Animation Enterprises in Hangzhou
As of October 4, the preliminary statistics showed that despite the unprecedented challenges in preparation due to the epidemic, this year's CICAF still attracted 335 Chinese and foreign enterprises and institutions, 4,031 exhibitors, merchants and professionals from 56 countries and regions to participate in various activities online and offline, and conducted 1,646 one-to-one match-makings. As a result, the on-site signed contract amount topped 480 million yuan. Over 13 million people participated in CICAF interactions both offline and online through the Online CICAF platform. The main achievements can be summarized into six keywords, namely the safest, China red, digital intelligence, results-oriented, revitalizing culture, and promoting brands.
Keyword No.1
Safest
To ensure the safe and orderly holding of this year's CICAF, Hangzhou made full use of digital, intelligent and refined epidemic prevention and control measures to ensure the health and safety of exhibitors and audience. All of them were required to provide negative nucleic acid test results issued within 48 hours, green "Hangzhou Health Code" and travel history records before entering the venue.
All personnel information was uploaded to the "Hangzhou Health Code" big data center to ensure information traceability. The Animation Industry Expo adopted a real-name system for online ticket booking and controlled the flow of people by limiting the number of tickets issued. The on-site audience was much smaller than in previous years, but they were all die-hard fans with high enthusiasm and vigor.
Keyword No.2
China red
The year 2021 coincided with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and this year's CICAF coincided with the National Day holiday, so "China red" was used as the theme color. This year's CICAF launched the theme exhibition of "Always Follow the Party" red animation to pay tribute to the Party's century-old elegance, which displayed such outstanding red animation works as Never Changed and Lin Hai Xue Yuan.
The “Golden Monkey King Awards” specially set up red animation awards, and selected one red animation special award and three red animation excellence awards from more than 130 red animation works. A Theme Cartoon Flash was launched in celebration of the National Day to arouse people's patriotism. At this year's China International Cartoon & Animation Festival (CICAF), the National Radio and Television Administration released the fourth excellent work of promoting socialist core values and issued certificates. The "Safe and Secure China" by the Political and Judiciary Commission under the Central Committee showed the achievements of the prisoners in their "Self-cultivation Through Animation". Fire departments, public security departments, volunteer departments and other departments used animation as a carrier for vivid publicity. At the Animation Industry Expo, many enterprises also carefully arranged a variety of exhibitions related to revolutionary culture.
Keyword No. 3
Digital intelligence
This year's festival established the "Online CICAF" platform, 3D VR live-action exhibition hall, and a large on-site interactive digital screen, adding new achievements to the infrastructure building of CICAF. Professional audiences from 47 countries and regions, including the US and the UK, participated in online "one-on-one match-makings". Mr. Joe D'Ambrosia, Senior Vice President of Original Program Planning at Disney, participated in the master class via video link and launched a special lecture.
In order to make up for the fact that many fans could not come to the scene, a series of online activities such as new media live streaming, Douyin Challenge competition, and Weibo interactive topics were launched, with more than 330 million views on relevant topics, up 50% over the same period last year. At the Animation Industry Expo, each booth fully displayed the innovative achievements of digital applications such as virtual reality in combination with its own actual situation.
Keyword No. 4
Results-oriented
This year's festival focused onthe transformation of industrial achievements. Industry Summit events series have explored the high-quality development trend of the animation industry in an in-depth manner. The CCTV program Dialogue discusses the competitiveness and influence of cross-industry integration of animation industry through three dimensions: animation + Chinese fads, animation + digital and animation + scenario. 132 projects covering areas such as animation, cartoon, game and derivatives of the International Animation & Game Business Conference ( iABC) engaged in the Pitch & Catch session, and iABC launched the first "Script Game Industry Conference" and "Training Session on Legal Services for the Animation Industry".
80% of the shortlisted works for the "Golden Monkey King Award" participated in pitching, and six works signed their intention agreements on the spot. The first promotion conference was held for exhibitors to showcase themselves and lift enterprises' confidence for development.
Keyword No. 5
Revitalizing culture
This year's festival upheld "Chinese animation, traditional Chinese style, and Chinese fads", fully displayed the charm of Chinese animation, organized "Chinese fads X Dimension" fashion show of Chinese costumes, and launched a special fashion show of Song costumes, which promoted the inheritance and spread of excellent traditional Chinese culture such as Song culture.
Both the 77-year-old Grandma in Hanfu at Anime Convention and Hangzhou Built with 180,000 LEGO Blocks not only became the most attractive works, but also became top search terms, ranking among the most searched across the city. In Hangzhou, the City of Animation, animation is becoming a fashion culture popular among the general public, and a way to for young people to express confidence.
Keywords No. 6
Publicizing brands
This year's festival broke away from the regular publicity cycle: it showed a strong publicity momentum in a relatively short period, creating a sound trend of public opinion.
It made massive efforts in news publicity. As of October 3, 167 articles were published on CCTV programs such as Xinwen Lianbo and Dialogue and some new media platforms. People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China Daily and other central, provincial and municipal mainstream media outlets reported the festival. The national learning platform "xuexi. cn" even opened a special topic to strongly recommend the festival.
Online publicity of the festival was characterized by many high lights. As of October 3, there were nearly 260 million views on related topics on new media platforms such as Douyin and Weibo. The festival's online topics were viewed by more than 330 million people.
Social publicity was made vivid and interesting. It carefully planned awareness campaigns on pandemic prevention and control, launched short animation videos and to celebrate the National Day, as well as creative short videos about public security traffic police, etc., adding vitality to the "City of Animation".
Pandemic prevention and control animated promos
The mascot of Hangzhou Fire Brigade, "Shuibao" is coming to the festival
External communication channels were diversified. Through platforms such as CGTN and Hangzhoufeel, 30 languages such as English, French and Japanese were used to show the splendor of the festival and the beautiful city of Hangzhou to overseas audiences.
A review of the highlights of the 17th CICAF
For a teenager, the age of 17 is full of hope.
The 17th anniversary of the holding of CICAF is also a hard-won success.
The difficulties and challenges encountered are unprecedented.
Special thanks should be given to those who have worked hard for the holding of this year's festival and showed their loving care, for their understanding and support for the festival.
Thank you for your support for the 17th CICAF!
We look forward to meeting you again
at the 18th CICAF to be held next year!
China International Cartoon & Animation Festival October 5, 2021