Guangzhou International Comics Festival Brings Together Over 1,000 IPs in Its 19th Edition

The 19th edition of the Guangzhou International Comics Festival (CICF) opened its doors on October 2 in that Chinese city, and it did so in a big way: over 1,000 IPs gathered, thousands of cultural products on display, and a total area exceeding 80,000 square meters.

The event, known as the "golden week of anime," is being held this year alongside the Asian Games Exhibition (AGF), with which it shares a venue. This edition's slogan is "Good Anime, China Cool," and the program includes everything from the opening ceremony to the Golden Dragon Awards, as well as the China Anime Creators Summit and the games and comics fair.

Comic characters and cosplay during the Guangzhou International Comics Festival.chinanews.com.cn

The main event on the first day was the Golden Dragon Awards ceremony, which were handed out in five categories. The big novelty this year was the "China Cool" themed award, created to recognize works that tell Chinese stories with a fresh perspective and manage to connect with audiences.

Five titles won in that category: Zhongguo Qitan 2, Wedding on the Grassland, China in the Rhythm of the Drum: Lingnan, Lingnan!, Hello, Beishan Street, and Yingge Zhuimeng.

The Top Ten of the Year According to the Golden Dragon Awards

The annual anime award, which recognizes works with social and economic impact, produced a list of ten winners that shows where China's current industry is heading. Among them are Baxian!, Memory Management Office, The Little Monster of Langlang Mountain, Linglong Season 2, Boonie Bears: Year After Year, Dare to Ask About the Mountains and Rivers, Once Upon a Time There Was a Mountain, The Ring of Evil, Under One Person Season 6, and Mortal: Return to the Southern Region.

The jury highlighted that Chinese production is diversifying: stories rooted in cultural tradition coexist with more contemporary proposals, and franchises no longer stay only on screen but extend into merchandise, collaborations, and cultural consumption.

A large crowd of people attends the Guangzhou International Comics Festival.chinanews.com.cn

The award for anime with the greatest potential was also presented, focused on new works and emerging creators. The winners there were Mo Huishou, The Museum at Nightfall, Universe Affairs, UFUFUFU, Cross Action, Stellar Volunteer, Space Case 1163, I Like Becoming a God, Stand by Me, and Footprints Are Just a Little Smaller Than the World.

Awards for Creators Outside China

The international category brought together participants from Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Switzerland, among other countries. Six works took home the foreign anime award: Little Death, Companion, Dieter, Rainbow Feather, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir - Double Life, and How Smart Is the Crow.

The same day, the China Anime Creators Summit and the Industry Summit were held, where hundreds of professionals from the sector, both domestic and international, gathered to exchange ideas and close deals. Illustrator Ye Luying, in her talk "Old Feelings, Current Feelings: My Path in Picture Book Creation," said that cultural heritage is not about raising a flag, but about suddenly understanding someone who lived a thousand years ago, grasping their joys and frustrations, and expressing that through drawing.

Attendees record the festival opening in Guangzhou with their phones.chinanews.com.cn

The comics and games fair, the largest of its kind in China, is once again being held together with the AGF. Exhibitors include Bilibili, Tencent Video, Manyou Culture, and Kadokawa, as well as several video game developers and distributors who brought their most popular titles.

The previous edition had already made it clear that Guangzhou has become a must-attend event for the anime industry in Asia, and this year's jump in the number of IPs and exhibition space confirms it. There are still days of the event left, and new licensing and collaboration announcements will most likely keep coming throughout the week.