The 16th China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (CICAF) will open on Sept 29 in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, with the best in the industry honored with the Golden Monkey King Awards.

Since the committee launched the contest in April, it has received a great deal of attention from domestic and foreign animation enthusiasts.

Among nearly 1,000 works from 19 countries and regions that submitted their credentials, 89 got shortlisted, including top rated animated films Nezha (2019) and Abominable (2019) – two of last year's biggest box office hits.

A combination of posters of animated film Nezha (2019) (L) and Abominable (2019) via Douban.

The Golden Monkey King Awards are regarded as the highest honor in Chinese animation industry, with two main categories: General Awards and Promising Awards.

This year's ceremony centers on the idea of sharing thoughts and experiences regarding animation production. In addition, there will be a special program by animation and cartoon makers to pay homage to those who fought in the battle against COVID-19.

A wide range of events, including an expo, a cosplay show and a dubbing competition, will be held at Hangzhou's White Horse Lake Animation Plaza. 

Due to the pandemic, the 2020 CICAF was postponed from spring to autumn – the first time since its inauguration in 2005. Major events will also be presented via livestreaming. The festival will run for six days until Oct 4.

Editor: Cui Xingyu

Cover image designer: Pan Yufei

Project manager: Deng Junfang

Producer: Si Nan

Supervisor: Zhang Shilei