Film Art College 1994 by China Academy of Art Shortlisted in the Berlinale Competition Section

HANGZHOU,China,Feb. 1,2023 -- It was announced on February 1st,2023 that the Chinese animated film Art College 1994 has been selected for the Competition section in the 73rd Berlinale. This marked a new record for the Chinese animated film industry.

Directed by Liu Jian,a professor at China Academy of Art's School of Animation and Games,and produced by a team of teachers and students over a span of five years,the film is a significant creative and pedagogical product of China Academy of Art's pursuit of "neorealistic animation". The Academy has yielded fruitful results in recent years,with student work taking centerstage and winning recognition at local and international film festivals.

Art College 1994is a unique 2D hand-drawn animated film with aesthetics that exhibits distinctive Chinese elements. Its director began his education in Chinese paintings. Well versed in the domain,Prof. Liu employed techniques found in Chinese paintings groundbreakingly. The result is scenes and characters that are undisputedly,authentically Chineseand of an aesthetic style distinguishable from American and Japanese animation.

With its detailed art,realism,and comfortable pacing,the film provides a different aesthetic experience that diverges from the usual spectacle of traditional animated films and stands out among Chinese animations.

Art College 1994tells a story that takes place in an art school in the 1990s. Amidst the clash of idealism vs. reality as well as tradition vs. modernity,a group of youths live their lives to the fullest as they pursue art and their dreams,form strong friendships and fall in love.

The early 1990s marked the advent of the modern arts in China,when new artistic ideologies flooded the minds of young people who were passionate about the arts,inspiring and confounding them alike. Seeming naive and childish,their relentless quest for and attempts to gain answers are nevertheless rooted in authenticity and earnestness that move us. Art College 1994 is a "song of youth" that is dedicated to all artists. The art education themes that are explored in the film remain relevant today.

The 73rd Berlinale will officially kick off on February 16,2023 and Art College 1994 will have its premiere at the festival. The film is scheduled to be screened across China in 2023.