June 5
The 23rd Beijing Film Academy Cartoon Festival
Official opening
Gathering renowned Chinese and foreign experts
Exhibitions and salons launched online
Using comics as a platform
Deepen university-local government cooperation
Empowering the animation industry and talent cultivation
On June 5th, the 23rd Beijing Film Academy Cartoon Festival, themed “ Wandering Through Beijing, Painting Dreams in Dongcheng District ,” opened at Longfusi Temple in Beijing . Jointly hosted by the Beijing Film Academy and the Publicity Department of the CPC Dongcheng District Committee , this year’s festival, themed “Inheritance, Innovation, and Diversity,” will feature main events from June 5th to June 7th, with some themed exhibitions running until June 15th. The festival includes an opening ceremony, academic salons, thematic lectures, artist field trips, special exhibitions, and a cultural and creative market , comprehensively showcasing the latest achievements and industry trends in cartoon art . It aims to make new contributions to the inheritance of the Chinese animation school, the cultivation of film talents with both moral integrity and artistic excellence, and the construction of a culturally and cinematically strong nation.
Zhang Jian , Party Secretary of Beijing Film Academy ; Sang Pengfei , Deputy Party Secretary of the CPC Dongcheng District Committee of Beijing ; Lin Yanhong , Deputy District Mayor of Dongcheng District People’s Government of Beijing; Liu Xinjun , Standing Committee Member of the Party Committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of Beijing Film Academy; Yue Zengmin , Editor-in-Chief of People’s Daily’s “Satire and Humor” newspaper ; Xu Tao , President of the China Cartoon Research Association and Chairman of the Chinese Committee of the International Cartoonists Congress ; Wang Jinkang , a famous Chinese science fiction writer ; and heads of cultural enterprises in the district, including China Post and Telecommunications Publishing House, China Youth Publishing House, and People’s Fine Arts Cultural and Creative Park, attended the event.
Sun Lijun , Dean of the China Animation Research Institute of Beijing Film Academy ; Marc Handler (USA) , Distinguished Professor of Beijing Film Academy, renowned screenwriter and producer ; Samuel Porteous , Canadian visual artist, cartoonist, and screenwriter ; Camille Benyamina , French cartoonist and full-time teacher at the Hermione College ; Kim Kwang-sung, Korean cartoonist and president of the Korea Cartoonists Association; Kim Byung-soo , cartoonist, professor at Sangmyung University and Mokwon University in South Korea; Nie Jun , cartoonist ; A Geng , professor at Beijing Institute of Printing; and Yin Chuan , animation director, participated in the event.
“Cultivating a fertile ground for nurturing people
Inheriting the Chinese Animation School”
As the birthplace of film education in New China and the only independently established higher education institution specializing in film, the Beijing Film Academy has always adhered to the principle of cultivating talent for the Party and the country , upholding the artistic philosophy of “learning from the people, serving the people, and becoming artists of the people,” and shouldering the mission of “ building a world-class film academy with Chinese characteristics .” The Animation School, as an important base for animation education in China, has long adhered to the path of nationalization, constructing a talent cultivation system that integrates teaching, research, and creation . In his speech, Liu Xinjun pointed out: “ Comics are a mirror of the times and a carrier of culture. They convey ideas and communicate with hearts through a unique narrative style, playing an irreplaceable role in promoting excellent Chinese culture and enriching people’s spiritual lives .” This year’s comic festival is being held at Longfusi, a cultural landmark founded in 1452, representing a profound dialogue between comic art and the fabric of the old city.
At the launch ceremony, Lin Yanhong announced the “Painting the Charm of Dongcheng” themed creative plan. She hopes to use painting as a medium to invite creators to explore, perceive, and depict Dongcheng, telling Dongcheng’s stories with youthful visual language . This will allow traditional culture to be revitalized through trendy expression , and also enable comic creation to resonate and develop synergistically with Dongcheng’s cultural industry.
“Building bridges between China and foreign countries
Deepen international exchanges and cooperation”
Sun Lijun used the special term “serialized” to review the 23-year history of the festival, emphasizing “content is king” and hoping that everyone would become well-rounded talents with talent, aesthetic sense, artistic literacy, and social responsibility . This year’s comic festival, co-hosted with the Publicity Department of the CPC Dongcheng District Committee of Beijing, is another milestone in university-local government cooperation , allowing outstanding works to reach the public and achieving a “two-way journey” between renowned universities and a culturally significant city .
This year’s comic festival had a distinctly international character, bringing together renowned cartoonists and scholars from the United States, Canada, France, and South Korea. Mark Handler, a specially appointed professor at the Beijing Film Academy, shared, “ Comics are a universal language. The internationalization of Chinese comics is not about becoming ‘someone else’s style,’ but about letting the world see ‘ your own style .’” In the academic salon, Mark Handler, Samuel Portaus, Camille Benjamina, Kim Kwang-sung, and Kim Byung-soo engaged in in-depth discussions with Sun Lijun, Nie Jun, A Geng, Yin Chuan, and others, exchanging ideas on topics such as localized education and cross-cultural innovation.
Concurrently, two major themed exhibitions complemented each other – the “Retrospective Exhibition of Outstanding Works from the Beijing Film Academy Comic Festival” was held on the 9th floor of Longfu Building, featuring 140 outstanding works from the past three comic festivals , covering multiple categories such as illustration, picture books, and story comics.
The “Painting the Drum Tower with Light and Shadow” themed creative exhibition opened at the Party Building Service Center on the first floor of Longfu Building, showcasing the sketches of the Drum Tower by students from the Animation Academy , vividly recording the younger generation’s exploration of the ancient charm of Beijing’s central axis.
In addition, Chinese and foreign cartoonists went to Qianmen Street, Sanlihe Park and the guild hall complex to do on-site sketching. Nie Jun said: “I have been rooted in Beijing to create ‘Fairy Tale of the Old Street’ and ‘Toy Store with 100 Doors’. Dongcheng District, with its profound ancient capital culture as its foundation, provides excellent soil for creators who are rooted in the local area.
“Promote the integration of industry, academia and research
Empowering the cultivation of film and television talents in the new era”
Serving the national cultural strategy, promoting the integration of arts and crafts, and deepening the integration of industry, academia, and research are the distinctive features of the Beijing Film Academy’s path of connotative development . This year’s comic festival focuses on the industrialization path of comic IPs and the cultivation of innovative and entrepreneurial talent . On the afternoon of June 5th, Zhu Yuchen, founder of the popular animation IP “I’m Not a Freeloader” and Beijing Gravity Art Studio, delivered a keynote lecture entitled “Modern Corporate Governance Driven by IP,” providing an in-depth analysis of the leap from “content hits” to a “billion-dollar industrial chain ,” offering practical insights for young creators.
As an important part of the comic festival’s public participation section, the “Comic Fun Creative Market” will be held for three consecutive days on the first floor of Longfu Building, bringing together more than 20 distinctive stalls featuring original animation, intangible cultural heritage creative products, published IPs, and handicraft workshops. On-site participants can also engage in interactive activities such as cartoonist portrait drawing, screen printing, badge DIY, comic book exchange, and themed graffiti, allowing comic art to move from the academic environment to everyday life. This deep integration of industry, academia, research, and innovation empowers the cultivation of new-era film and television talent , ensuring that the artistic achievements of the Beijing Film Academy reach the public and resonate with their hearts.
Twenty-three years have passed in the blink of an eye. The Beijing Film Academy Cartoon Festival has grown from its initial role as an academic platform on campus into an industry trendsetter leading the Chinese cartoon scene. The Beijing Film Academy has consistently implemented Xi Jinping’s cultural thought , further leveraging its disciplinary and talent advantages to continuously cultivate film talents with both moral integrity and artistic excellence for the Party and the country . It strives to write a new and brilliant chapter in promoting the high-quality development of China’s animation industry , building a world-class film academy with Chinese characteristics, and serving the construction of a culturally and cinematically strong nation.
| Source | Animation Academy |
Written by Sun Da
Reviewed by Chen Zhongguo and Ma Hua
Edited by Yang Jingya and Yang Liang
| Editor | Xiao Xue |
| Editor | Ai Lulu |
| Supervisors | Li Dandan, Chen Lan |
Contemporary Animation | The Rise of Intelligent Imaging and the Reconstruction of the Animation Subject