The Ascendas OneHub GKC in the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (SSGKC)[Photo provided to Newsgd.com]

Under the framework of Tripartite Economic Alliance between Guangzhou, Auckland and Los Angeles, a new alliance focusing on film and animation will be officially established later this year, said Xu Hui, Deputy Director of Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (SSGKC), in an interview with Newsgd.com recently.

Located in the northeastern part of Guangzhou, SSGKC is positioned as “five high-ends”, which is a convergence of high-end industries, high-end talent recruitment, high-end service provision, high-end environment creation, high-end lifestyle, and aims to attract top-flight industries, focusing on their strategic and long-term growth in order to build a strong base for a knowledge-based economy.

Since the cultural and creative industry is a pillar industry of the SSGKC, great efforts have been made to boost this aspect since its establishment in 2011, especially since the last Tripartite Economic Alliance between Guangzhou, Auckland and Los Angeles in 2014.

National cultural industrial giants including China Animation Group and Alpha Entertainment Group have been brought in on cooperative projects initiated in this area. Now South China Base of National Animation Creative Research and Development Center has set up shop in this region, whaving been co-founded with the China Animation Group.

The office built in the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City (SSGKC) [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]

Moreover, benefiting from increasing international projects, a mass of foreign enterprises, especially those from the US and New Zealand, have their sights on SSGKC and have started cooperating with the region.

For instance, SSGKC has been in contact with Weta Workshop, a famous New Zealand-based special effects and prop company who came to the world’s attention with director Peter Jackson's film trilogy The Lord of the Rings, producing the sets, costumes, armour, weapons, creatures and miniatures. Sir Richard Leslie Taylor, the founder of Weta, has visited Guangzhou and SSGKC when cooperating on projects several times before. This year Sir Taylor will participate in the 2017 Tripartite Economic Summit in Guangzhou as a distinguished guest.

Guangdong Huawen Century Animation Company are also working on a co-produced animation named the WotWots Kiddets with the high-profile New Zealand animation studio, Pukeko Pictures, and this project will be rooted in the SSGKC.

Xu mentioned that a subsidiary company has been founded in the SSGKC to focus on a “culture+” strategy integrating tourism, investment, sports and business. In future, this company will deepen its cooperation with Los Angeles as well as Auckland, to take GZ based creative industry global.

“I see the three cities complementing each other especially in the culture industry, making a complete industrial chain. Hollywood is the world’s creative center while Auckland is famous for its post-production. And in Guangzhou, we have a huge market and some fast-developed technology teams” Xu added.

Author: Hu Nan

Editor: Simon Haywood & Olivia Yang