International filmmakers attending the 2nd Golden Panda Awards enjoyed visiting the Dujiangyan Panda Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in Sichuan Province on Friday, seeing the country's most treasured animals up close. In southwest China's Sichuan Province, the home province of the giant panda, the 2025 Golden Panda Awards honors achievements in the fields of film, TV, documentary and animation under 27 categories.
On their tour, the filmmakers were won over by the adorable pandas as they watched the bears chow down on a bamboo snack.
"It's amazing, absolutely fantastic, and I've spent a lifetime making nature documentaries about 1000, so it's wonderful to come and see the real panda in Chengdu, a real treat. Thank you. It's beyond words. It's a dream come true. It's a real honor to be here celebrating with everybody the very prestigious Golden Panda Awards," said Wendy Darke, a representative of a nominated work under the Documentary Category of the 2nd Golden Panda Awards.
In addition to seeing giant pandas, guests also experienced cultural highlights such as Sichuan's tea art and woodblock printing. At the "Golden Panda Post Office," they selected postcards featuring elements of the distinctive local Bashu culture. They stamped and mailed these postcards, sending blessings from the homeland of the giant panda to destinations around the world. "I'm just so happy to be here. Just to be nominated for me is a great honor. What I'm expecting is to make a lot of connections and meet a lot of people, even directors and producers. It would be nice," said Natalia Freitas, another representative of a nominated work.
"I think it's a big festival, and these kind of festivals are very important for the world friendship between the countries," said Klaus Scheurich, a representative of a nominated work.
Real giant pandas capture hearts of int'l filmmakers nominated for Golden Panda Awards
Chicago policymakers have introduced measures to increase housing supply, in a move that local activists and construction industry stakeholders have hailed as key to easing affordability pressures on residents.
According to the city's 2025 annual report on homelessness, Chicago is facing its largest gap in affordable and available housing in a decade, with the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count estimating that 7,452 people were experiencing homelessness, either in shelters or unsheltered locations, on January 23, 2025.
Steven Vance, a social worker in Chicago, said policies that previously curbed the city's housing supply have pushed up rent costs amid demographic changes.
"Households are declining in size, and that means we need more homes, and I thought it was strange that we would artificially restrict how many homes could get built in Chicago. Right now in Chicago, we have one of the highest rent growths, compared year to year in the country, and so now is a pivotal time to allow more housing," he said.
To address the challenge, Chicago has introduced zoning and land-use reforms, including the Additional Dwelling Units (ADU) Ordinance, aimed at increasing residential density and expanding housing supply.
The ordinance effectively expands housing access across the city by allowing ADUs in attics, basements, and accessory buildings, easing the rent burden and creating more budget-friendly housing options.
"In December 2020, City Council adopted an ordinance that would legalize ADUs in five pilot areas. (With ADU,) rents will maybe not always come down, but they will not climb as quickly as they are now if we have more housing options," he said.
The construction sector in the city has welcomed the policy change, with builders jumping on the opportunity to create new structures. For many in the industry, boosting housing supply is not just about doing business, but about addressing the issue of affordability as Chicago residents themselves.
"The housing market in Chicago has been impacted by the ADU program, to me, in a really big way. It's enabled a lot more rental projects to be constructed. I want there to be more housing in Chicago. I think there is a need for that, and I think there's also a need for responsible development that maintains the character of the neighborhood. Affordable housing to me is a really important issue, and to me, the biggest denominator in affordable housing is the lack of supply. The best route to affordable housing is to have an influx of housing," said Nick Serra, a construction professional.
Chicago expands housing supply to ease affordability pressure
