During the Second China Science and Fiction Film Festival Week, which closed on 16 December 2019, The Origin and Evolution of Life, produced by the Open University of China (OUC) and published by the OUC Multimedia Press, stood out from nearly 400 works and won a bronze medal.

The Second China Science and Fiction Film Festival Week, held in Shangqiu, Henan Province, aimed to show off achievements in the development of science and fiction films and animations in China since the founding of the People's Republic of China and the latest achievements in the development of science and fiction films and animation works in the new era, make the creation of science and fiction films and television programmes a thriving industry, promote the development of science and fiction films and television programmes, and create an atmosphere in which society pays attention to and supports science popularisation, scientific innovation, and science and fiction film and television programme creation.

The Origin and Evolution of Life is the result of the efforts of 21 academicians and experts working on the front-line of paleontology in China, exploring the history of fossil discovery over the past 100 years. It not only discusses the origin and evolution of life on earth, but also includes many of the latest scientific achievements in Chinese palaeontology. This is the first time that the important achievements in the study of the origin and evolution of life have been demonstrated to the public in the form of a popular science film in China. It is an original work that fills in the gap in popular science films in the field of paleontology in China and an important achievement with scientific, systematic, cutting-edge, and innovative features.

Due to its outstanding performance in the fields of audio-visual publishing and the popularisation of science film and television production in the field of paleontology, The Origin and Evolution of Life was funded by the National Publishing Fund in 2017 and won first place in the selection of top ten developments in the popularisation of geological and paleontology in China in 2017.

Written by Xia Ran, photographed by Pan Shuqiu, OUC