The awards ceremony for the winners of the 21st edition of the International Cartoon Contest in Braila, a competition that attracted more than 300 cartoonists from 57 countries, will take place on Thursday at the Youth Centre, the Braila County Centre for the Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture (CJCPCT) announced.

The awards ceremony will be held in the foyer of the Youth Centre, in the presence of the jury members and this year's winners, with the distinctions awarded to each artist to be revealed during the event.

The eight winners previously announced by the organisers are Ivailo Tsvetkov from Bulgaria, Walter Toscano from Peru, Li Ji Chuan from China, Vladimir Kazanevsky from Ukraine and Gabriel Rusu, Liviu Stanila, Cornel Marin Chiorean and Borta Ambrozie Ovidiu from Romania.

'They are the winners of this year's International Cartoon Contest, artists who will be in Braila to learn which distinctions they have received at the awards ceremony and collect their prizes. Their presence in Braila is an important moment for the event and offers the public an opportunity to meet the creators of the award-winning works, to discover their artistic world and to celebrate together achievement and creativity in the art of caricature,' the Braila CJCPCT told AGERPRES.

This year's edition had the theme 'World Personalities' and attracted 306 cartoonists from 57 countries, who submitted 882 works to the competition.

The jury was chaired by graphic artist Marian Avramescu and included Dumitru Dodo Nita, cartoonist and comics critic, Pavel Constantin, illustrator, art teacher and editor, Victor Eugen Mihai, journalist, photographer and cartoonist, and Marius Tita, columnist, critic, curator and collector.

The International Cartoon Contest's Big Prize is worth 1,100 euros, the First Prize is 800 euros, the Second Prize is 600 euros and the Third Prize is 500 euros. In addition, three special prizes worth 300 euros each and the Braila CJCPCT Prize, worth 100 euros, will be awarded.

An exhibition featuring works submitted to this year's edition will also be presented as part of the event and hosted by the Art Gallery of the Braila CJCPCT.

Following the awards ceremony, the programme will continue in the main hall of the Youth Centre with 'Asta-i ce-am avut de zis' music and theatre performance by actor Horatiu Malaele and musician Nicu Alifantis.

The show offers an artistic dialogue bringing together humour, music, poetry and theatre.

The International Cartoon Contest is organised by the Braila County Council and the Braila County Center for the Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture, with the support of the Braila City Hall. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Ecaterina Ignat; EN - writing by: Rodica State)