The 3rd China-CEEC（Central and Eastern European Countries）Art Cooperation Forum, organized collaboratively by Serbia's Ministry of Culture and Information and China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, commenced via video link on November 25.  Themed “We Are in the Future”, the two-day forum featured four sub-forums, including Visual Arts, Film Art, Animation and Video Game Art, facilitating discussions among experts and artists from 17 countries on promoting cultural exchange. During the opening ceremony, speeches were delivered by Mr Gojković, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture and Information of Serbia, and Mr Hu Heping, Minister of Culture and Tourism of China. Mr Gojković highlighted that during the COVID-19 epidemic, countries are more aware of the importance of mutual support and cooperation. Serbia will continue to actively participate in China-CEEC cooperation and support cultural advancement. Mr Hu Heping emphasized that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China is willing to work with CEEC to adhere to extensive consultation and joint construction. He encouraged balanced, open, innovative, and pragmatic exchanges, aiming to foster stable and progressive relations. China is also willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with CEEC in other fields, making new and greater contributions to promoting the progress of human civilization and building a community with a shared future for mankind. During the Film Art sub-forum, Ori Group’s Ms Lu Weiyao, General Manager of the International Business Department, and Ms Wang, Choreo Director of the Creative Business Department, engaged in discussions. Ms Lu presented Ori Group’s international collaborations and interactions with film institutions in Central and Eastern Europe. She also conducted online exchanges and discussions with guests from the Serbia Film Center, University of Montenegro, North Macedonia FX3X Group, Film Bureau of the Republic of North Macedonia and other guests. In terms of content creation, Ori Group remains committed to international cooperation, echoing its principle of “Telling Chinese stories that the world can understand and Delivering global tales that will inspire China” while fostering mutual respect and cooperation. The Forum provides an avenue for expanding collaborations with CEEC film institutions, furthering mutual growth in the Central and Eastern European cultural landscape.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently unveiled the 2021 Key International Cooperation Projects of the Cultural & Tourism Industry in the Belt and Road Initiative. A total of 18 projects from 12 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) were selected this time, and Ori’s project “Creation and Overseas Promotion of the Cartoon Duo Duo” secured a spot. Duo Duo was signed by Ori Animation and Singapore Tiny Island Animation in 2019 and obtained a Sino-foreign co-production license in April 2020. The two sides jointly invest and co-produce for in-depth cooperation. The film is currently in production, centred around a pet store, presenting a children’s perspective on a fairy tale through a “play within a play” format. This project also gained recognition under the “2019-2020 Asian Film and Television Exchange and Cooperation Program (TV Co-production) Project”. Ori strategically partners with countries along Belt and Road. The selection of Duo Duo is an affirmation of its value and a great recognition of Ori’s commitment to promoting the cooperation and development of countries along the Belt and Road. With established networks across various Belt and Road countries such as Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and Russia, Ori will continue to adhere to the overseas cooperation strategy, aligning with the national Belt and Road Initiative and continuing to contribute to its success.

At the sound of the tolling midnight bell, a brand new year begins. It’s the very beginning of 2020. The year 2019 has been a mixed platter for most of us, with whether amazing or sad movements. We wish a great new year to all our friends all over the world. Let's raise our hopes, to the promise it ushers in. May the new year bring you happiness and success. Take a quick look on this year’s ORI GROUP, along the number of the Chinese box office 2019 is $9.23 billion USD with almost 70,000 screens in total. The industry will chronicle a Group of unprecedented staying power of development and expanding forces of creation. For the last year’s major plans part, ORI has enacted many plans on international cooperation including vigorously develop the international co-production, strengthening worldwide sales, and realizing the international network sharing. Based on the current global situation, ORI has launched into production model 3.0 era. For this upcoming new year, everybody and every project seems so vibrant and the progresses will be phenomenal. The Group plans to expand our business and cooperation to the next level as well as producing more accredited projects, ORI might find possibility and invest in other fields. More importantly, The 70th Berlin International Film Festival is coming, we will be the best of ourselves during the whole Festival. Certainly, ORI will make the best entrance in this year’s EFM and seek a cooperative style with more creative and effective partners. The year just begins, we will steadily head to the mutually beneficial relations with friends from across the world. Again, happy new year!

The 40th AFM (The American Film Market) was held from November 6th to 13th in Santa Monica, California. ORI team back to its office at Suite #502 Loews again. Produced by the Independent Film & Television Alliance, The American Film Market is the most efficient film acquisition, development and networking event in the world. Unlike a festival, AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed. More than US$1 billion in deals are sealed every year — on both completed films and those in every stage of development and production. Though claimed that industry professionals from more than 70 countries converge here during the market, this AFM was not that thriving compared with previous years. Participants felt ‘a burst of cold’ and the slack global economy was accused to be one of the culprits. Being affected, the total number of participants in this year’s AFM decreased by 30%, among which the number of registered enterprises and individuals from Europe and China were cut down by about half. In this ‘cold current’, ORI still progressed to its mission and exhibited at AFM with its new animated feature films HOCKEY KING and ONE DAY and the nearly finished film - RETURN. ORI’s office became one of the most flourishing offices during the whole market. In just eight days, ORI had talks with 80+ enterprises around the world, gained 10+ cooperation intentions and closed dozens of sales contracts.

From Oct 16th to 18th, the 4th China-Arab States Forum on Radio and TV Cooperation was held in Hangzhou, jointly organized by National Radio and Television Administration, People's Government of Zhejiang Province, League of Arab States and Arab States Broadcasting Union(ASBU), which drew over 300 representatives from governments, Arab agencies, press medias and enterprises. Huang Kunming, a member of Political Bureau, Minister of the Publicity Department of CPC Central Committee, read the Congratulatory Letter from the President, Xi Jinping and delivered a keynote speech. In his speech, Huang Kunming mentioned the animated series Hakim & Kong Xiaoxi co-produced by ORI and Ministry of Culture and Information of Saudi Arabia, the first animated series co-produced by China and Saudi Arabia. Before the meeting, Huang Kunming visited the achievement exhibition of China-Arab audio-visual cooperation on Broadcasting, Television and Internet and had a cordial talk with ORI’s representatives at the exhibition booth of ORI. ORI was invited to attend this Forum. Feng QIAN delivered a speech themed as ‘Building A Bridge of Sino-Arab Film & Series Communication & Cooperation’ who shared ORI’s experience in cooperation with Arabic countries and had a prospect for more levels of collaboration in the future, aiming to make a further contribution to promoting the communication and cooperation between each other. Feng QIAN said that since its foundation in 2006, ORI has been committed to spreading Chinese culture and has established the content distribution and cooperation network covering more than 70 countries around the world. In the process of ORI’s overseas development, ORI chose Arab states as the first step with great achievements. In May 2014, ORI officially signed a contract with Ministry of Culture and Information of Saudi Arabia about co-producing the animated TV series - Hakim & Kong Xiaoxi, which is the first animation project between China and Saudi Arabia, launching a new journey of cultural cooperation between the two countries. As a pioneer of China-Arab cooperation, all animation produced by ORI are already aired in MENA. During the Forum, ORI also had further talks with Chinese and Arab representatives at this forum on copyright trade, IP cooperation and talent exchange, further exploring the cooperation potential and strengthening the culture exchange of film and television between China and Arab states.