Recently, the 2025 CILECT Asia-Pacific Regional Conference (CAPA) was held at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. As a full member of the International Association of Film and Television Schools (CILECT), Jilin Animation Institute (JAI) delegated two faculty representatives to attend the conference and deliver thematic presentations.

    The conference was attended and addressed by Mr. Stanislav Semerdjiev, Executive Chair of CILECT and Professor at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, Bulgaria, as well as Mr. Yu Ran, Chair of the CILECT Asia-Pacific Region.

    Focusing on the theme of Sustainable Filmmaking, the conference explored topics including green production practices, collaboration between film education and industry, and sustainable approaches to narrative and cultural development. Scholars and educators from various institutions engaged in in-depth discussions on conceptual innovation, curriculum development, and international cooperation mechanisms.

    During the conference, representatives of Jilin Animation Institute held exchanges with peers from institutions such as the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Ngee Ann Polytechnic (Singapore), The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Beijing Film Academy, and Shanghai Theatre Academy, discussing potential cooperation in faculty and student exchanges, joint curriculum development, workshops, and collaborative creative projects, and expressing intentions for further collaboration.

Opening remarks by Stanislav Semerdjiev

Address by Yu Ran

    Faculty members Duan Aipeng from the School of Animation Art and Zhou Dianyi from the School of Games represented Jilin Animation Institute at the conference. They delivered keynote presentations titled “From Text to Audience: The Sustainable Transformation of Modern Film Narrative” and “Narrative Sustainability: Replay Value and Multi-Path Storytelling as a Sustainable Filmmaking Method”, respectively, and participated in the panel discussion session.

Keynote presentation by Duan Aipeng

    Centered on curriculum design and practice in narrative sustainability, Duan Aipeng emphasized that sustainability in filmmaking extends beyond material reduction on set to the long-term vitality of works within cultural memory. In the context of streaming platforms, where audiovisual content is often rapidly consumed, she argued that narrative structure and audiovisual strategies can enhance a work’s replay value. Using student–faculty collaborative animated short films such as A Thousand Dots of Evil Ink and Who Will Be Buried: The Cat or the Mouse as examples, she demonstrated how multilayered narrative threads and deliberate ambiguity in theme, character relationships, and pacing can guide students toward culturally resonant expressions and mitigate the cultural loss caused by fast-consumption creative models.

Keynote presentation by Zhou Dianyi

    From the perspective of evolving narrative concepts, Zhou Dianyi examined sustainable filmmaking by highlighting a shift in contemporary visual storytelling from single-victory narratives to structures emphasizing interconnection, responsibility, and systemic relationships. Drawing on current trends in film–game convergence and teaching research, she noted that thematic expression should align with production ethics, allowing green principles to extend from narrative content to teamwork, technological choices, and audience reception. She advocated for more public-oriented and dialogic narrative approaches to address social issues, thereby fostering lasting social impact and cultural value through dissemination, discussion, and educational contexts.

Panel discussion session

    The participation of Jilin Animation Institute’s young faculty members in the 2025 CILECT Asia-Pacific Regional Conference not only showcased their achievements in teaching and research, but also demonstrated the active role of emerging academic talent in advancing the university’s internationalization. Their engagement has injected new vitality into JAI’s international academic exchange efforts.

    Looking ahead, Jilin Animation Institute will continue to deepen collaboration with film and television schools worldwide, actively promote young faculty participation in international exchange and cooperation, and build higher-quality platforms for global collaboration, contributing to the open sharing and innovative development of film and television education.