Russia is special guest at China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (CICAF) opening in Hangzhou on Monday

HANGZHOU, China, April 28 (Itar-Tass) - Russia is a special guest at the China International Cartoon and Animation Festival (CICAF) opening here on Monday. Russian delegation's participation in the review has been organized by the Animation Cinema Association under the auspices of the RF Ministry of Culture. "Russia is represented at the festival by over 20 domestic animation studios, producer centers, and distribution companies. These include the Animaccord, Baselevs, Mill, Riki, Aeroplane, Tatarmultifilm (animated cartoons), Private Technologies, D3-Media, and New Disk," an Association source said. Russia's animated cartoons will be also represented at the festival by an separate display stand arranged within the framework of a specialized exhibition. Over there, domestic companies will be able to hold business get-togethers and conclude contracts. The CICAF organizing commitee has also prepared an eventful business programme. The planned events include a conference dedicated to prospects for cooperation between Russia and China in the field of animation, and a business tour of the Animation City -- one of central animation technology clusters of China. The Director of the Association, Irina Mastusova, said a trip to Hangzhou and familiarization with the production of animated cartoons is organized in China are a good experience for Russian producers "Asia as a whole and China in particular are a highly promising area for cooperation. We have got something to learn here, for China has got a very clear strategy for the development of its own animation and invests huge sums of money in it," Mastusova pointed out. Ilya Popov, a member of the RF presidential Council for Cinematography and president of the Animation Cinema Association, said, "Russia is interested in cooperation with representatives of the Chinese animated cartoons sector". "We shall be glad to get acquainted with achievements of China's animation and learn how animation is supported in China at State level and draw on the valuable experience, make new contacts, and, and establish cooperation and co-productin," Popov said. CICAF, Asia's largest-scale animation event, has been held since 2004. The review combines the festival proper, the specialized exhibition, business forums, and entertainment events. The exhibition offers an area of 80,000 square metres to exhibitors; there will be also forums, opening and closing ceremonies, presentations of animation projects and many other things. In 2013, the cinema market and the forum attracted executives of almost 500 companies from 62countries. The festival events were attended by over two million visitors. Contracts for almost 165 projects were signed at the exhibition to a total of about $2 million. The venue for CICAF has been chosen not by chance. Hangzhou is the site of China's largest Animation City -- it comprises an industrial park, a collective use center, including an educational infrastructure, production premises, etc. The industrial zone currently accommodates more than 300 companies operating in the field of animated cartoons and and computer games and having an aggregate staff of over 20,000. The duration of animated caroons turned out every year is mote than 20,000 minutes (about 1,300 animated cartoons and 430 computer games). At present many companies based at Hangzhou have established their branches all over the world. Learn more on itar-tass.com