The ongoing 2024 Greater Bay Area Animation Film Week highlights the potential and innovation of artificial intelligence in animation. The event kicked off on Thursday in Dongguan City, south China's Guangdong Province, gathering industry representatives, animation film creators, and experts to discuss on how to advance the animation film industry in the Greater Bay Area.
At the opening ceremony, film industry associations from Guangdong, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative region signed a cooperation agreement and released an industry development report.
In addition, the top ten venture capital animation films, such as GG Bond and the Degenerate-Drawing Jiang Hu, were unveiled at the ceremony. These films cover a variety of themes, each with distinct features, and were presented alongside 30 outstanding animation short films. The showcase highlights the potential and innovation of artificial intelligence in animation, reflecting the limitless possibilities of animation creation.
2024 Greater Bay Area Animation Film Week highlights potential, innovation of AI in animation
The Chinese Consulate General in Istanbul has assisted a group of tourists from the Taiwan region to return home, after they were stranded in Türkiye due to the escalating tensions in the Middle East.
After being stranded for about five days, the 93 Taiwan compatriots started to board China Eastern Airlines’ flights to Shanghai in batches.
This group of Taiwan compatriots were from three Middle Eastern tour groups arranged by the same travel agency in Taiwan.
They had originally planned to return to Taipei via Abu Dhabi, UAE, after their Istanbul trip. However, following the US-Israel military strikes against Iran on Feb 28, many Middle Eastern countries closed their airspace, leading to the cancellation of numerous flights.
"To be honest, I've never encountered this situation in my entire life," said one of the Taiwan compatriots.
"My teacher kept calling to ask when I'd be back because I was constantly revising my leave application, they thought I was missing," said another.
During their stay, the group members changed their tickets at least four times, but the flight schedules all showed indefinite delays, causing them great anxiety.
"In the past few days, we've seen news from the mainland saying they can help us by sending planes to expedite our return," said another tourist from Taiwan.
"These Taiwan compatriots contacted our Consulate General in Istanbul through the consular protection hotline. Our consulate leadership attached great importance to this situation and immediately coordinated with relevant domestic departments, including immigration and border control, as well as airlines, to coordinate getting them on board," said Sui Kaige, director of Consular Affairs Section at the Chinese Consulate General in Istanbul.
"We also provide Taiwan compatriots with assurances on flight seats to meet their needs," said Li Ge, general manager of China Eastern Airlines' Istanbul office.
Chinese Consulate General in Istanbul assists stranded Taiwan compatriots to return home
