The second Golden Panda Awards will be held in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in September, recognizing outstanding films and TV series while promoting the giant panda cultural brand, organizers announced on March 25.

Organizers attend a press conference to brief the media about the second Golden Panda Awards in Beijing, March 25, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Golden Panda Awards Organizing Committee]

Xie Li, a member of the organizing committee for the 2025 Golden Panda Awards and secretary of the secretariat of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, said the ceremony will take place in Chengdu on Sept. 12, 2025. 

"There are 27 awards in four categories: film, TV drama, documentary and animation," he said. "These awards cover best picture, director and screenplay, among others. The event aims to promote cross-cultural understanding through the selection of film and television works."

Li Junchen, deputy secretary-general of the Sichuan provincial government, outlined the awards' "3+3+1" framework, which includes three main events, three side activities, and one extension activity.

According to Li, the main events include the "Golden Panda Night" welcome, the "Golden Panda International Cultural Forum," and the "Golden Panda Awards Ceremony." The forum will gather politicians, scholars, and industry leaders to explore cross-cultural exchange and technology-culture integration. Winners in four categories will be announced at the awards ceremony, which will feature cultural performances.

Li also disclosed that side activities include the "See the World with Panda" international film and TV exhibition, which will promote project cooperation and exchanges, as well as the "Let's Watch Movies Together" film panorama featuring classic works via screenings. Additionally, the "Face-to-Face with Pandas" tour will offer close encounters with giant pandas while showcasing Chinese culture.

The extension activity, "Our Panda," invites global submissions of short videos, photos and written works featuring panda-inspired creative pieces that highlight harmony between humans and nature.

Gao Zhongwei, deputy director of the Golden Panda Awards organizing committee office and director of the executive committee office, updated the status of global submissions as of the prior day: 1,788 entries were received, comprising 71 films, 385 TV dramas, 854 documentaries and 478 animations. Of these, 1,373 foreign entries — 77% of the total — originated from 104 countries and regions across five continents.

Eligible works are outstanding film and television productions that premiered or screened between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2025. With the submission deadline set for April 25, 2025, organizers encourage more film and television institutions and industry associations to participate, Gao said.

Organizers noted that the jury panel covers five continents, with overseas experts making up over 40% of the jurors. The panel includes internationally renowned film and television experts to ensure professional evaluations and authoritative results.

A poster for the second Golden Panda Awards. [Image courtesy of Golden Panda Awards Organizing Committee]

Organizers noted that the Golden Panda Awards will be market-driven, featuring enhanced industrial functions such as project incubation and copyright trading to encourage cooperation in the global film and television industry. Additionally, they plan to develop "film and television plus culture plus ecosystem" experiences based on the giant panda's intellectual property and Sichuan's cultural tourism resources.

The biennial Golden Panda Awards aim to uphold standards by collecting and selecting works that reflect shared human values, while facilitating cross-cultural exchanges and learning through film and television, the organizers said.

The inaugural Golden Panda Awards in 2023 drew 7,024 submissions from 104 countries and regions. Foreign entries made up 70% of submissions, and foreign works accounted for 60% of the winners, demonstrating the event's extensive global reach.