A news conference at the 13th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival is held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province on April 25. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, hosted a news conference to officially kick off the 13th China International Cartoon & Animation Festival (CICAF) on April 26.

Qi Xiaohu, director of the Hangzhou publicity department, addressed the conference to point out the great significance of the event, “CICAF is going to showcase the charm of Hangzhou, boost the internationalization of the city and promote the development of cultural and creative industries in Zhejiang.”

Sixteen sessions and 59 activities, including exhibitions, forums, competitions and guest speakers from 82 regions and countries throughout the world will deliver a comprehensive picture of the current global cartoon and animation industry.

According to Zhuo Chao, secretary-general of the organizing committee, the six-day festival is expected to be more international as representatives from world-famous cartoon companies like Disney and DreamWorks will make an appearance at CICAF in Hangzhou. Globally renowned animators and producers including Paul Young, producer of the award-winning animated feature Song of the Sea (2014), and Andrew Richard Jones, Oscar-winning animation supervisor of Avatar (2009) and The Jungle Book (2016), will be on-hand to discuss the creation and supervision of animated projects, and share their experience and opinions with attendees.