9th China Int'l Student Animation Festival concludes in Beijing

Guests and award winners gather for photo at the end of awards ceremony at the 9th China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival at the Communication University of China in Beijing on Oct 27, 2014.[Photo by Liu Xuanyi/chinadaily.com.cn]

The [Aniwow!2014] China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival concluded at the Communication University of China in Beijing on Monday.

This year's festival, which ran from Oct 23 to 27, was co-hosted by the Communication University of China and China's online video giant iQiyi.

More than 1,200 animation works from over 30 countries and regions around the world were submitted to compete for the awards, and 215 of them made it onto the final list of nominees.

Higher Sky, created by Cheng Teng from the University of Southern California, won the best animated short film award due to its wonderful originality, distinctive character, scene designs and intense visual effects.

Meanwhile, the animation film with the best box office appeal, an award organized by iQiyi, was given to Boonie Bears: To the Rescue! The film has earned 246 million yuan.

Many honored guests like Shelley Page, head of International Outreach for DreamWorks Animation, and Song Qihui, head of the Cultural Market Division of the Chinese Ministry of Culture, also attended the awards ceremony and presented prizes to the winners.

The festival, which was initiated by Communication University of China in 2006, aims to construct a globally renowned platform to show the achievement of cartoon and animation in the world and promote China's original cartoon and animation films.