China’s Presence Felt at Annecy with New Pavilion and Animated Projects
By Stewart Clarke
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – China is making inroads into the international animation business, with a formal presence at Annecy and several new projects from the Middle Kingdom on show at the festival and MIFA market.
A new Pavilion has been put together by the China International Television Corporation, the commercial arm of state broadcaster CCTV. Highlights include a showcase of new Chinese projects at on Tuesday, which will be introduced by Gao Changli, the director general of the China’s media regulator, the State Administration of Radio and Television.
Production entities and animation bodies using the Pavilion as their base during Annecy include CCTV Animation, the Guangzhou Animation & Cartoon Association, and Zhejiang Blue Star International Media. Youku, iQYi and the Beijing Animation & Game Industry Alliance will also be present.
“We are delighted to introduce the best and brightest stars of Chinese animation on the world’s stage at the most prestigious international animation festival,” said Jianing Shen, EVP, CITVC. “We look forward to meeting new global partners.”
Screenings of Chinese animated films include “Panda and Krash,” “Legend of Silk Road,” and “Deer Run.” Another Chinese animated series that will screen is “Killer Seven” (pictured), which is nominated at Annecy in the series category.
Aimed at young adults, the show launched on the Youku and Bilibili, iQiyi and Tencent Videoo streaming platforms in April. It follows the adventures of Seven, a barber and assassin who can disguise himself as anything, and who carries out various weird assassination attempts for a low price.
It is produced by Aiken Zou Shasha’s Aha Entertainment. He said that being at Annecy and the award nom was “an exciting opportunity for the Chinese animation industry.” He added: “We look forward to discussing the future plans of our company and our projects with international buyers as well as animation industry executives and practitioners as we look forward to the future of Chinese animation together in Annecy.”
