First Chinese Jury Member Mr. Fish Wu Attends Russia’s Kazan International Film Festival

On September 5, 2025, local time, the 21st Kazan International Film Festival grandly opened in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. The opening ceremony attracted filmmakers from five continents. Representing China’s animation industry, Mr. Fish Wu—member of the Animation Art Committee of the China Television Artists Association, China Regional Head of the Animation and Film Professional Committee of the Europe-Asia Culture Association, and Director of the Animation Committee of the Sichuan Cultural and Tourism Creative Industry Alliance—was invited to serve as a jury member for the animation section of this year’s festival. He is the first Chinese jury member invited since the festival’s establishment in 2005, contributing a Chinese animator’s professional perspective to the global dialogue on world animation art.

Chinese renowned animation producer and member of the Animation Art Committee of the China Television Artists Association, Mr. Fish Wu, attends the red carpet ceremony of the Kazan International Film Festival.

Jury members of the Kazan International Film Festival appear at the opening ceremony.

The organizing committee of the Kazan International Film Festival presents ethnic specialty gifts from the Republic of Tatarstan to the jury members.

Group photo of the jury members.

During the conference,Mr. Wu highlighted the achievements of China’s animation industry, introduced the work of China’s （Si Chuan) Animation Professional Committee, and presented the original IP “Pange, the Panda” and its film, which he leads in developing.

Mr. Wu delivers a speech.

Mr. Wu introduces China’s （Si Chuan) Animation Professional Committee.

Mr. Wu introduces the original IP “Pange, the Panda”.

Mr. Wu unveils the teaser poster for the “Pange, the Panda” film.

On September 8, 2025, all jury members engaged in in-depth discussions with Vasily Gabdulzyanovich Shaykhraziev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, on core aspects of the festival, including film selection, screening arrangements, and audience feedback. Suggestions for improvement were also put forward regarding the festival’s future brand development and international resource integration. As the jury member for the animation section of the festival, Mr. Wu , Chairman of China’s （Si Chuan) Animation Professional Committee, proposed a Sino-Russian co-production initiative for film and television, which became a highlight of the meeting.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, Vasily Gabdulzyanovich Shaykhraziev.

As the first Chinese jury member of the festival, Mr. Wu detailed two proposed Sino-Russian co-production film projects to the Deputy Prime Minister:

1. An original animated film featuring pandas, combining the imagery of China’s pandas and Russia’s polar bears to tell a story of lasting friendship between the two countries from an animal perspective. The project already holds independent intellectual property rights.

2. A focus on the Sanxingdui culture, known as the “Ninth Wonder of the World,” leveraging this unique IP that carries 5,000 years of Chinese civilization. The aim is to integrate Sino-Russian international film and television resources to jointly produce high-quality co-produced works.

On September 9, 2025, Mr. Wu , You Chunguang (Chairman of the Europe-Asia Culture Association, EACA), and Lyabibovna Aytuganova (Chairman of the Kazan International Film Festival) signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement, marking a new phase of systematic and regular development for animation industry collaboration among China, Russia, and the Eurasia region.

Mr. Wu , Ms. Lyabibovna Aytuganova, and You Chunguang.

This tripartite cooperation is rooted in a solid foundation of cultural exchange. The Kazan International Film Festival, an authoritative platform certified by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), has made its competition categories, such as Best Animation, important showcases for cross-cultural animation works. The Europe-Asia Culture Association has extensive experience and notable achievements in promoting the implementation of transnational cultural projects. The three parties will establish a three-dimensional cooperation system encompassing “content exchange, talent cultivation, and industry collaboration.” Through systematic cooperation, Chinese animation will not only “go global” but also “integrate deeply,” exploring new possibilities in animation art with Eurasian counterparts. Culture is the cornerstone of economic cooperation, and animation, as a cultural medium transcending age groups, will become the ideal language for dialogue between Eurasian civilizations. The Europe-Asia Culture Association will fully leverage its role as a bridge to ensure the effective implementation of cooperative projects. The animation section of the Kazan International Film Festival is witnessing such in-depth international cooperation for the first time, which will significantly enrich the festival’s content ecosystem and pave the way for more works blending Chinese and Russian aesthetics.

At the festival’s closing ceremony on September 10, 2025, Mr. Wu , as a special invited awards presenter, presented the “The Best Animation Film” award to the Russian animation team for their work Out There.

Mr. Wu presents the award at the closing ceremony.

As the first Chinese jury member at the 21st Kazan International Film Festival in Russia, Mr. Wu gave exclusive interviews to Russia’s Channel One and RT. He engaged in in-depth discussions and exchanges on key topics such as the path for international cooperation in Chinese cinema, as well as the current state and future trends of China’s animation industry.

Mr. Wu ’s role as a jury member at the Kazan International Film Festival is not only an honor but also a responsibility. It signifies that Chinese animation has evolved from “Made in China” to “Created in China.” As Chinese culture integrates into global dialogue through “creative transformation and innovative development,” animation, as a “borderless language,” is becoming the most beautiful bridge connecting the East and the world.

This journey allows the world to see the artistic depth and cultural richness of Chinese animation while bringing global cutting-edge ideas back to China. This cross-cultural dialogue spanning thousands of miles may mark a new starting point for Chinese animation to “ascend from the plateau to the peak”—using art as a medium to help the world understand China and openness as a sail to navigate Chinese animation into broader global waters.

We look forward to using this film festival as an opportunity to enhance多元化合作 (diverse cooperation) among different countries and cultures, promote in-depth collaboration in areas such as international film and television co-production, technical exchanges, industrial business partnerships, and derivative product and brand cooperation, and facilitate more substantive collaborative achievements.