Golden Panda Awards boosts film-tourism integration

China

Golden Panda Awards boosts film-tourism integration

2025-09-13 15:02 Last Updated At：09-14 01:07

The 2nd Golden Panda Awards, an international cultural award for humanistic exchanges and encouraging dialogs through film and television productions with the giant panda as a cultural symbol, is scheduled for Saturday in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Launched in 2023, the biannual event is to promote the screening of outstanding films and boosting tourism consumption across the province.

With the 2nd Golden Panda Awards, Sichuan has started screening films featuring selected Chinese and international classic films alongside cultural and tourism initiatives, offering people a diverse "film-watching plus" consumption experience.

The organizer has selected 40 films, including entries for the Golden Panda Awards, outstanding local Sichuan productions, and Chinese and foreign classics, and will screen them across 15 cinemas in Chengdu, Mianyang, Yibin, and other cities in Sichuan.

"For film fans, this is a very meaningful event which allows us to watch our favorite movies in cinemas. We hope the Golden Panda Awards continue to improve," said Cen Xinrui, a member of the audience.

"In fact, the Golden Panda Awards is beyond a film festival or an award ceremony, it also aims to improve people's film-watching and appreciation experience, building a bridge with Chinese audiences through lights and images," said Su Qing, an official of the screening event.

This year's Golden Panda Awards will also introduce a new model that integrates film with culture and tourism, releasing 14 travel routes and activities like tasting local delicacies, along with distributing 40 million yuan (about 5.6 million U.S. dollars) in movie consumption vouchers to boost cultural and tourism spending.

"We wish to take the Golden Panda Awards as an opportunity to create a consumption ecosystem centered on film that connects cultural and tourism resources. So far, it has benefited 130,000 cinema visits and generated over 5 million yuan (about 702,000 U.S.dollars) in box office revenue," said Yang Chunyan, director of the screening event.

In two years, the Golden Panda Awards have quickly gained international recognition as an event fostering global dialog and exchange in film and culture.

30th Hong Kong FILMART opens

The 30th Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART) opened on Tuesday, kicking off a four-day bonanza attended by over 790 exhibitors from 38 countries and regions.

This year's event provides a platform for the trading of film and television entertainment content to promote global cultural exchange and cooperation in the industry.

The expo, underway in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, has attracted participants from both established and emerging markets, including major film and television markets such as France, Italy, and the Republic of Korea, as well as ASEAN countries like Cambodia and Malaysia.

It also features numerous exhibitors from emerging markets participating for the first time, demonstrating the potential for cross-regional cooperation in the film and television industry.

The event has partnered with 10 global film promotion organizations to promote more cross-regional cooperation and co-production projects.

As the mainland film and television industry actively expands into overseas markets, film and television exhibitions have gradually become one of the key platforms to help mainland companies to go global.

"First, we are bringing high-quality audiovisual content, including our TV series Swords Into Plowshares and over a dozen other new shows. Second, in terms of ecosystem development and technology-driven innovation, we are forging strategic partnerships with tech giants. We hope to leverage platforms like Hong Kong to accelerate and enhance the transformation and upgrading of our business," said Zhao Yifang, founder and CEO of Huace Group.

EntertainmentPulse, a forum organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, was held alongside FILMART, bringing together industry leaders from around the world to discuss hot topics such as artificial intelligence, video streaming, and project financing.