From June 9 to 13, the 2026 Chongqing International Animation Film Week themed “Boundless Creativity, Excelling Together” was held in Yongchuan, Chongqing. Guided by China Media Group and Chongqing Municipal People’s Government and hosted by local film and government authorities, this premier comprehensive international animation festival gathers top global animation practitioners to build an international platform for cultural inheritance, technological innovation and cross-cultural exchange.
Jilin Animation Institute (JAI) showcased its integrated creative and technological achievements throughout the event, participating in youth creator dialogues, national comic co-creation initiatives and industrial resource matchmaking. Its original short film The Mid-Autumn Full Moon won the Special Recommended New Generation Animation Short Award at the festival’s Jinshan Tea Honors, recognizing the institute’s outstanding educational output and young animators’ creative prowess.
Sharing AI-aided Local Creation at Youth Creator Dialogue
The “Young Voices – Youth Creators Dialogue” brought together young directors from leading art schools including JAI, Beijing Film Academy and CCTV Animation Group to discuss innovative animation creation powered by AI.
Tao Jiaming's sharing
Tao Jiamin, a young faculty member of JAI, shared the creative journey of the institute’s AI-assisted short film Dragon and Camellia over Mountain City. Rooted in Yongchuan’s local cultural symbols—the Yongchuan dinosaur and camellia—the film unfolds a tender narrative of chase, companionship, separation and reunion through MV-style cinematography showcasing local landmarks. Framing the two cultural icons as animation film reels at the end, the work pays tribute to the film week.The production team balanced artistic expression and technical innovation: custom color palettes for six dinosaur designs, realistic 3D rendering of local scenery, AI tools for streamlined storyboard and visual design, and poetic original lyrics paired with immersive sound design to deliver memorable audio-visual experiences.
Joining CMG’s Major Urban Comic Co-Creation Project
China Media Group launched the city-themed co-creation project Painting Mountain City via its CMG Video 5G new media platform, gathering 12 iconic domestic animation IPs and top art universities including JAI to craft cross-dimensional animation works highlighting Yongchuan’s cultural and tourism charm. JAI’s team produced Dragon and Camellia over Mountain City with extensive AI generation techniques and original lyrical writing, depicting Yongchuan’s landscapes and cultural temperament. The project’s related topics have accumulated over 50 million views across platforms, drawing widespread public attention.
Original IP Showcase Highlights Full Industrial Chain Strength
JAI exhibited a lineup of original animation IPs such as Zap's Last Stand, Changbai Spirits: Four Animal Kingdoms, The Classic of Mountains and Seas - Land of Birds and Legend of King Yu. Zap's Last Stand earned high praise from industry exhibitors for its complete storyline and mature derivative development blueprint, affirming JAI’s full-cycle operation model covering content creation to commercialization. The Classic of Mountains and Seas - Land of Birds impressed international participants. Drawing inspiration from the ancient Chinese Classic of Mountains and Seas, the long-term IP series features distinctive oriental aesthetics and ample room for content iteration and industrial expansion, demonstrating China’s cultural confidence and industrial potential in original animation. A full range of trendy toys and cultural derivatives developed from JAI’s IPs were also on display, embodying the institute’s integrated teaching, research and industrial development philosophy.
In-depth Global Industrial Linkages for School-Enterprise Cooperation
During the film week, JAI’s delegation held one-on-one exchanges with representatives from over 20 top domestic and overseas animation institutions. Both sides discussed potential cooperation on joint IP development, derivative licensing, AI animation R&D, Chinese animation overseas distribution, co-production and customized talent training, reaching preliminary intentions on multiple industrial projects.The team also negotiated detailed plans for talent cultivation and joint campus-industry programs, laying a solid foundation for long-term international and corporate collaboration.
On-site
Original Short Film Wins Authoritative Industry Award
The Jinshan Tea Honors jury, chaired by The Lion King director Rob Minkoff and composed of globally renowned animation experts, selected 501 submissions worldwide. JAI’s 2D animation short The Mid-Autumn Full Moon created by faculty and students claimed the Special Recommended New Generation Animation Short Award, praised for its unique artistic language, imaginative storytelling and profound traditional Chinese cultural connotations.
award ceremony
This award recognizes JAI’s teaching standards and creative strength. The film reinterprets traditional festival culture with contemporary aesthetics and digital tools, embodying the institute’s consistent pursuit of localized Chinese animation creation. JAI has long built a talent cultivation system integrating teaching, creation and industrial practice, providing students with end-to-end creative and commercial platforms. Committed to art empowered by technology, the institute strives to develop original animation with distinct Chinese cultural characteristics.
Participation in this film week marks a vital step for JAI to connect with global animation resources. Moving forward, the institute will deepen interdisciplinary research, advance full-chain original IP development and technological innovation, and keep integrating art and digital technology. It will continue producing culturally distinctive, artistically compelling and commercially viable animation works, fueling high-quality development of China’s animation industry and innovative inheritance of traditional Chinese culture.
