The first Golden Panda International Cultural Forum occurred in the Chinese city of Chengdu in Sichuan province on Wednesday.
As part of the ongoing Golden Panda Awards, which celebrates excellence in film and television, the forum’s theme was titled “Civilisations in Harmony… Diversity, Equality, and Inclusiveness”.
CGTN reporter Guo Tianqi spoke to several participants from the event to learn more.
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Role of film and television
During the summit’s dialogue session, six renowned filmmakers exchanged ideas on the critical role of film and television as powerful mediums for cultural communication.
In the keynote speech, former state leaders and UN officials also underscored the influential role of art as a bridge connecting people from diverse cultural backgrounds.
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“It’s so important nowadays, once again, to think about it. Respect. There are too many, I would say, misunderstandings and challenges in this world, said former Director-General of Unesco, Irina Bokova,
“Whatever we look at the climate change conflict, natural disasters pandemics, we are coming from a very difficult period; we need to talk to each other. We need to have a dialogue. We need to try to respect each other and try to find a common solution.
I think art is universal language, and culture is what unifies us,” says Bokova.
Four parallel forums were also held on Wednesday to discuss tradition and the future: digital and culture, youth and the market.
“I’m the concert pianist. That’s why I travel a lot. No matter if I play here at all outside, at every concert, I will play the Chinese music,” said pianist Tian Jiaxin.
“Because I feel our culture is so amazing, and no matter what, I really hope I can use my way to tell our culture to everyone. I am really thankful for this special event because I think it is meaningful and we know each other and in the future, we can cooperate together.”
At the end of the forum, filmmakers also signed an agreement to embrace the mission of promoting harmonious and mutually beneficial cooperation in this area. And to utilize new technologies to illuminate contemporary life and future visions.
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Golden Panda Awards
China’s Panda Awards, officially known as the China Golden Panda International Short Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Sichuan, China.
Named after the iconic panda, the awards honour outstanding short films in various categories and promote cultural exchange among filmmakers and conservationists.
This festival also plays a significant role in advocating for the protection of pandas and their habitat.
*This report was filed by CGTN’s Guo Tianqi in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
*CGTN is a BGTN content partner.
