If you are a cartoon and animation fan, don't miss the chance to check out some of the world's latest and best cartoon shows and cosplays as the 15th China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (CICAF) is being held in Hangzhou City of east China's Zhejiang Province, from April 30 to May 5. 

Global players enter Chinese market

Over the past 15 years, this festival has developed into one of the largest and most popular cartoon and animation celebrations in the world. This year there will be 193 cartoon and animation companies from 86 countries and regions.

In particular, it's Disney's first time to participate in this festival. Following the recent release of the wildly popular movie "Avengers: Endgame," the company has brought many similar superhero works, especially from the 80th anniversary of the world famous Marvel. 

It's also the first time for many Brazilian companies to take part in the exhibition. The event's reputation has also attracted Chilean companies. Besides the famous Blizzard Entertainment and Sony Entertainment from the United States, Webtoon, South Korea's largest comics platform, and other cartoon and animation companies, organizations and guests have come to Hangzhou to participate in the event.

Chinese cartoons aim to go global

At the meeting, the 2018 China Animation Film Industry Report was released. China's animated film production companies produced a total of 51 animated films in 2018, of which 34 successfully entered the cinema market.

In 2018, 48.1 million viewers watched a total of 4.1 million screenings, raking in 1.6 billion yuan at the box office, and marking a year-on-year increase of 20 percent, 47.7 percent and 24.5 percent, respectively.

Zoland, a Hangzhou-based animation company, has participated in this festival for the past 15 years. The company's CEO Wu Jia said they have focused on telling traditional Chinese stories and cultures through animation and cartoons.

However, Wu said compared with some global players, Chinese animation companies still lag behind in terms of content and creativity. They hope to cooperate with more global leading companies to produce more international works. And many global giants like Disney and Sony have shown interest in working with Chinese companies to produce high-quality cartoons.

During the festival, there will be some business meetings particularly for Chinese animation companies and global cartoon players.

Cosplay becoming popular in China

Cosplay, dressing up and performing as characters from comic books, cartoons, video games, etc., has become a popular activity worldwide, especially in China.

The China Cosplay Super Show, a major draw at the CICAF, has seven overseas divisions in France, Spain, Switzerland and other countries, and the competition rules have been unified for pairs for the first time to align with international rules.

(Top image: Cartoon and animation industry players have come to Hangzhou, China, for the CICAF. /Photo courtesy of CICAF)