Animated films light up the dream and craftsmanship forges the future. As spring unfolds with its promise and beauty, the 14th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) Game-Based Animated Films Section has brought its call for entries to a successful close. Through a stringent preliminary evaluation by the jury, 60 animated short films have been handpicked as finalists to advance to the final evaluation.

As a new addition to the Section this year, the Selection of Animated Short Films is dedicated to unearthing exceptional animated short films, thereby delivering a steady stream of professionals for the sustainable growth of China’s animation, film, and game sectors. It also serves as a dedicated platform for animation students and young filmmakers to engage in professional dialogue and showcase their works. Since the launch of the call for entries on March 5 for students from relevant majors across the nation’s higher education institutions, the event has elicited enthusiastic responses and broad engagement from over 40 prestigious institutions in China, including the Communication University of China, Beijing Film Academy, and the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Additionally, it has inspired a surge of individual submissions, with more than 10 student works from various colleges actively participating, and has garnered discussion and recognition from numerous experts and scholars in the industry. In the span of nearly a month, the solicitation process has attracted nearly 800 submissions, showcasing a rich variety of types and genres, and fully demonstrating the boundless creativity and talent of students.

On March 30, at the School of Art and Design of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, 10 judges responsible for the preliminary evaluation scored the entries on-site to select the works that would advance to the next round.

▍First-round jury:

He served as design principal of the unified logo for opening credits of domestic TV dramas, former core crew member of the Animated Promotional Video Fuwa for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Mascot, and Funiu for Beijing Paralympic Games Mascot. His works have garnered prestigious awards such as the “Outstanding TV Animated Series” and “Best Animated Film” at the China TV Golden Eagle Award. He has tutored his students in more than 100 animated short films, which have won numerous awards at top animation competitions both domestically and internationally, including the “Annecy International Animation Film Festival”, the “AnimeJapan”, the “Annie Awards”, and the “Bucheon International Animation Festival”.陈　　

His personal works have successively won the San José Cornerstone of the Arts Awards, the First-Class Outstanding Work Award in the Core Values Animation Contest hosted by the National Radio and Television Administration of the People’s Republic of China, and the Best Animated Short Film Award at the AVIFF Cannes Art Short Film Festival. He has led his team to complete works that have won numerous top domestic awards, including Golden Rooster Awards, China TV Golden Eagle Award, CICAF Golden Monkey King Awards, China Animation and Comic Competition Golden Dragon Award, and China Culture and Art Government Awards.

He specializes in the market development and operational management of the animation industry. He has been involved in the market operation and management of several animated series, including Three Squirrels, Dream Corps, Lucky Comes with Lion, Time-travelling Dinosaur Knights, Magic Cloth-Bag Boy, Goddess Taimu and White Tea Fairy, and Little Prince & Potato.

Li Ruoyan serves as a council member of the Digital Art and Animation Committee of the Chinese Collegial Association for Visual Art, a member of the China Animation Association, a member of ASIFA, and a member of the Science and Technology Association of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. Her work XXXL was shortlisted for the Main Competition of the 19th Athens Animfest 2023. He participated in the production of the five-episode documentary Spring Festival Gala, which was awarded the Outstanding TV Documentary Prize at the 26th China TV Golden Eagle Award.

She is a cross-media artist whose works are based on digital art and painting, spanning experimental animation, painting, multi-screen video images, and installation art. In the realm of animation art, she has continuously engaged in teaching and practice over the years, experiencing the various transformations of animation art as it transitioned from traditional techniques to the digital era. She has conducted in-depth creative and research work on animations of various methods and media forms.

Her research areas include film culture studies, film and TV screenwriting, genre films, and the study of Eastern European and Nordic films. She has published several monographs such as Studies in Film Culture, Studies in Chinese Comedy Films Since 1977, Cultural Construction in Film and TV Screenwriting, as well as a translated work titled Performance Art: From Futurism to the Present. She has also published over 100 academic papers on film and TV and contributed novels, novellas, film scripts, and poems to magazines such as October and Chinese Writers.

He is a prominent young Chinese animator, an inheritor of the traditional crafts of ink animation and brushed paper-cutting animation, and a key contributor to the creative concepts for the Olympic Games opening ceremony. As a filmmaker and film critic, he has directed works such as Husband-Waiting Rock, Home, Passing the Inn, and Crested Ibis. He has also participated in the filming of Grand Song of the Dong Ethnic Group, China and Ancient City of Ping Yao (produced by NHK).

His main works include the animated series Mumu Tribe, Tutu Town, Seer, and Mole’s World, as well as the martial arts animated series The Legend of Qin V and Nine Songs of the Moving Heavens. The animated series Tutu Town, which he planned and wrote, won the Most Promising Award for Animated Series at the 10th CICAF ‘Golden Monkey King Awards’ in 2014. The animation series Seer, also planned and written by him, received the Bronze Cup for Comprehensive Award at the 16th CICAF ‘Golden Monkey King Awards’. The VR animated short film Twin Robots won the 2020 Future Business Ecolink Conference and the 5th Golden Gyro Awards, as well as the 7th Advanced Imaging Award from the China Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers in 2020.

She has published an academic monograph in Japan and has successively directed several provincial and ministerial-level projects, including the National Philosophy and Social Science Fund of China and the Philosophy and Social Science Fund of Shaanxi Province. She has been honored with multiple research awards, such as the 2nd prize of the Outstanding Achievements in Philosophy and Social Science (for a publication and a consulting report) of Shaanxi Province, the 2nd and 3rd prizes of the Shaanxi University Humanities and Social Sciences Research Outstanding Achievement Awards, as well as the Japan-China Cultural Exchange Book Award.

He served as the executive director for the animated film Non-Human, the director for Fabulous Beasts, and the section director for the Me and My Winter Games for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022.

During the preliminary evaluation phase, a hundred-point scoring system is strictly followed. To ensure fairness and objectivity, each judge provides an independent score for each entry. To mitigate the impact of extreme scores, the highest and lowest scores for each work are excluded during the scoring compilation, and the average of the remaining scores determines the final preliminary score. After a rigorous selection and evaluation process, 60 outstanding works were selected for the final evaluation. These short films, ranging from captivating narratives to breathtaking visuals, profound concepts, and innovative animation techniques, showcase a remarkable diversity in theme and content and they all reflect the dedication and passion of the new generation of animators towards the art of animation. On April 20, the 60 finalists will be premiered for a public screening, and they will also be highlighted in a dedicated section on our official website.

As the evaluation for the Selection of Animated Short Films progresses, the judges for the final evaluation have been proudly announced. They come from various backgrounds in the animation sector, including prestigious senior industry experts, directors and producers actively engaged in the frontline of the animation sector, and outstanding representatives from animation platforms. In terms of market experience, professional proficiency, and artistic achievement, they all hold a highly esteemed position and reputation in the sector. They will rigorously and meticulously evaluate the entries based on their profound professional knowledge and unique artistic perspectives. The inclusion of these heavyweight judges not only underscores the profound influence of this event in this sector but also reinforces our unwavering pursuit of professionalism and recognition. It also reflects the Chinese animation sector’s expectations and support for emerging animators. Leveraging the judges’ extensive creative experience and industry resources, comprehensive guidance and support will be provided to the outstanding emerging animators participating in this event, helping them to continuously improve their creative skills on their journey of growth, thereby contributing to the future development of China’s animation sector.

▍Final jury:

She is responsible for managing Bilibili’s key animated IPs through a comprehensive approach that encompasses strategic planning, long-term management, and pivotal marketing initiatives. She also manages the IP licensing sector, fostering ecosystem collaboration and exploring business partnerships for animated IPs through various business models. With a focus on flagship IPs such as Yao-Chinese Folktales, Link Click, Fog Hill of Five Elements and A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality, she has been instrumental in propelling the development of domestic animated films under the Bilibili brand. In 2023, Bilibili’s original animations garnered nearly 30 significant accolades for content and business cases at prestigious events, including the CICAF “Golden Monkey King Awards”, the China Animation and Comic Competition Golden Dragon Award, and the “ Cyber Sousa Awards” at the Xiamen International Animation Festival.

Animated film producer, director, screenwriter, business operation expert of IPs, and chief producer of the animated film The Legend of Hei; screenwriter and director of animated films such as Little Soldier Zhang Ga and Hot-blooded Football Boy; business and strategic advisor for animated IPs such as Mr. Foodie, Little Monk Yichan, Line Puppy, and My Friend Xiaolan.

He once served as executive director for famous animated series at home and abroad such as Handsome Monkey King, Chess Player, Fantastic Four, The Legend of Nezha, and The Dreaming Girl. In 2010, he was the executive director of the French animated film Zarafa, which was nominated for “Best Animated Feature” at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, “Best Director” at the ASIFA’s Annie Awards, and César Award for Best Animated Film. In 2012, he served as executive director for the French animated film Wolfy, the Incredible Secret, winning the César Award for Best Animated Film and receiving a nomination for Crystal Bears Award for “Best Animated Feature” at the Berlin International Film Festival. In 2013, he served as the executive art director for the Chinese animated film Roco Kingdom 4, which won the “Golden Angel Award” for Best Animated Feature at the 11th Chinese American Film Festival and “Best Animated Feature” at the 7th Snow Wolf Cup. In 2015, he served as the executive director of the French animated film April and the Extraordinary World, which won the “Best Animated Feature” Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

Yu has been included in the Talent Clustering and Cultivation Program in Haidian District and is one of the top ten innovative leaders in Zhongguancun. He began his entrepreneurial journey as a co-founder of Dream Castle and co-produced the film The Legend of Hei, which achieved the second-highest box office record for a domestic 2D animated film in China. He has successfully identified and nurtured dozens of outstanding startup teams and animators in the cultural and creative field, making early investments in them. Yu possesses exceptional capabilities and extensive practical experience in the fields of venture financing, startup management and operation, venture team building, brand licensing, organizational fission, and the integration of business resources and industry chains.

She boasts an extensive background in the animation sector, encompassing roles as a journalist, director, producer, channel manager, picture book creator, and business manager. She has directed numerous prestigious national film and television projects and has consistently spearheaded filmmaking management. She has directed over 100 episodes of the animated series The Olympic Adventures of Fuwa, along with approximately 30 other feature film series, including China-Czech collaborations such as Panda and Little Mole, Panda and Kiwi, and The Story of Dunhuang. Furthermore, she has served as a co-producer for several films, including the sequels New Happy Dad and Son 2, 3, 4, and 5. Her outstanding work as the chief director has been recognized twice with the prestigious Five-One Project Award, the highest art honor by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China. Her works have garnered numerous accolades, including the Best Children’s Programme at the Asian Television Awards in both 1997 and 2000, the Best Creativity Award at the 2011 Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival, the Best Animated Film at the 18th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards, and the 14th Spiritual Civilization Construction “Five-One Project” Award in 2017. She was honored as the Outstanding Filmmaker by the National Radio and Television Administration in 2020.　　

Sorted alphabetically by the initial of the family name, with no ranking order

The final evaluation will take place from April 3 to 7. The judges will first engage in off-site independent viewing and scoring of the entries. On April 6, all the scores will be compiled and sorted to determine the top 30 works. Subsequently, on April 7, a live voting session will be held at the offline evaluation meeting to finalize the selection of 5 Outstanding Animated Short Films and 15 Excellent Animated Short Films. The competition is anticipated to heat up further in the coming days, and we eagerly await the revelation of which works will stand out among the rest. The final results will be announced at the Awards Ceremony of the 14th BJIFF Game-Based Animated Films Section, where filmmakers of the 60 shortlisted works and the representatives from the participating institutions will be invited to attend and witness the announcement of these honors.

Carrying forward the craftsmanship of animation and showcasing the power of creativity! This event is dedicated to promotion and inheritance of animation art and careful exploration and enthusiastic encouragement of animators. It gathers the creativity and talent of young students, injecting continuous vitality into the evolving landscape of domestic animation. We look forward to this feast of vision and creativity and invite you to witness the promising future of China’s animation sector together!