by Garland-Waide Bradford | Nov 16, 2019 | Animation News
FUPiTOONS from Africa to the WORLD!
FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL 2019 (FUPiTOONS) is taking African animation to the world. Africa is the territory of honour at Annecy 2020 and FUPiTOONS will be part of the official program. This year’s special call for content delivered a record harvest of 721 short films.
The African Animation Network (AAN) launched FUPiTOONS at The Zone in Rosebank in 2017. It was the first animation short film festival “Made in Africa for Kids“. Since its inception the festival has traveled the length and breadth of the continent, from festivals to pop culture events to schools.
20 films have been selected for FUPiTOONS 2019. The festival premieres at DISCOP Johannesburg next week, where the jury will have the unenviable task of deciding which of the 20 shorts will win in the various categories.
The jury for FUPiTOONS 2019 comprises 3 of Africa’s shining stars in animation. Mounia Aram, born in Morocco but now living in France, is this year’s Head Judge. She recently launched the production and distribution start-up Mounia Aram Company to focus on distribution of African and Middle Eastern animated content. With over a decade’s worth of experience and passion for bringing content to screens across the globe, her focus has now shifted to Africa where she has also taken up a role at AAN as the Head of Content Acquisitions & Channel Distribution.
Diana Maria Rosu is the founder and Artistic Director of the Accra Animation Film Festival (AAFFia). AAFFia debuted in 2019 and has already contributed greatly to the growth and exposure of the West African animation industry. Born in Romania, Diana completed her studies in Europe, before moving to Ghana, bringing a wealth of experience having worked on a plethora of European festivals.
Cameroonian-Burkinabe, Doh D. Daiga, is a line producer, writer, cartoonist, animator, graphic artist, webmaster, trainer and teacher. He has a BSc in Film and TV Production with associates in Illustration and Animation. Doh is the Owner and Chief Creative Officer of Kinetic Arts and Human Technologies International (Kahti) and is an active member of the Burkinabè Association de Cinema Animation (ABCA), Kino Cabaret Ouaga and Co-Founder of the Creative Cultural Center.
FUPiTOONS, “fupi” meaning “short” in kiSwahili, has always dug deep into the African soil from its content to its jury. The aim is to bring content to the children of the continent that depicts characters they can identify with. Bringing recognition to creatives and their projects.
Annecy International Animated Film Festival & Market/MIFA is one of, if not the biggest, animation film festival in the world. Creatives from all over the world will descend on the festival and market in its 60th year of existence. This a great opportunity for FUPiTOONS, and the African animation industry, to attract this global audience’s attention. While showing them what the continent is capable of. It’s an advertisement showing the world, Africa is open for business.
Subscribe to our newsletter and keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for news on when the preliminary rounds will be in your region!
Garland-Waide Bradford has a career path that has varied from corporate work as a public relations manager in communications strategy to media work as an insert producer for factual television. These were purposeful choices to understand how to integrate creative choices with market requirements in turning content into brands. Growing up in a township meant that these educational opportunities were out of reach due to access and financial constraints. But, having paid his dues through work, Bradford is a dynamic thinker who owns a skills set that is third industrial revolution ready. He completed his BA Honours in Media Studies in 2017. His focus has been on media management and has been studying models of sustainability in the media for several years. He started his journey with the African Animation Network as Head of Communications in 2017 where he hopes to use his skills to empower aspirant animation professionals and member associations to further their global reach.
by Garland-Waide Bradford | Sep 11, 2019 | Animation News
Growing African animation with Mounia Aram Company
Building towards a sustainable animation industry in Africa requires innovation. The African Animation Network has had to do a lot of that since its inception. It started with being a pro-profit, talent-driven, social enterprise, and included setting up a structure across the continent. Our team members can be found in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya.
We are excited to partner with Mounia Aram Company and welcome Mounia Aram to the team as Head of Content Acquisitions & Channel Distribution. Mounia doesn’t only bring the Moroccan flavour with her but over 16 years worth of experience in the animation industry. She started her career in anime working for ShoPro Entertainment. She’s worked for North American and European animation industries.
Of all the industries she’s encountered, Africa left a gaping hole. This spurred her on to create the Mounia Aram Company. Her mission is to bring the world’s attention to the diversity of African stories in animation.
Mounia is bringing her passion and experience to AAN. We share a mission and vision for the African industry. Especially as audiences are making their hunger for unique and diverse stories known. The continent has an important role to play in satisfying people’s thirst for story.
Although she is based in Paris, Mounia’s heart is firmly planted in Africa. As a child of the continent she understands that for many millennia, African stories carry the DNA of villages, tribes,and civilisations. This makes her an invaluable member to the AAN team.
“Working in a developing animation industry in a continent that is also developing, has many challenges. Mounia’s insights, born from her experience and passion, are key to the kind of innovation required to create a sustainable industry.” said Nick Wilson Head of Projects, AAN.
Mounia explains, ” In the animation industry representations of diversity are rare, especially when it comes to African characters and stories. The sector lacks animated contents. It is particularly surprising as the continent is so wide and rich in stories and talented people. My goal with Mounia Aram Company and my appointment at AAN is to bring the best animated content from Africa to the international market, by spreading the beautiful and inspiring African stories to the kids outside Africa. Working with AAN will provide the best exposure to African animation and achieve part of my goal”.
We at AAN have seen how important it is for children from Africa to see themselves represented in the cartoons they watch. The art form not only has the ability for kids to believe in themselves but reach out to the world with their imaginations. Stories also have the ability to change people’s perception about each other.
Mounia shares how animation influenced her, “I was born in Casablanca, Morocco, and I grew-up in France. As a kid, I always had a passion for cartoons, video games and African cultures and languages. After Arabic languages and civilization studies, I had the opportunity to join ShoPro Entertainment, a company specializing in Japanese animation based in San Francisco. I had found my dream job and never left the industry”.
The future of the African animation industry is exciting. From the creatives who are self taught to AAN team members who are passionate about making it into the best it can be.
Subscribe to our newsletter and keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for news on when the preliminary rounds will be in your region!
Garland-Waide Bradford has a career path that has varied from corporate work as a public relations manager in communications strategy to media work as an insert producer for factual television. These were purposeful choices to understand how to integrate creative choices with market requirements in turning content into brands. Growing up in a township meant that these educational opportunities were out of reach due to access and financial constraints. But, having paid his dues through work, Bradford is a dynamic thinker who owns a skills set that is third industrial revolution ready. He completed his BA Honours in Media Studies in 2017. His focus has been on media management and has been studying models of sustainability in the media for several years. He started his journey with the African Animation Network as Head of Communications in 2017 where he hopes to use his skills to empower aspirant animation professionals and member associations to further their global reach.
by Garland-Waide Bradford | Sep 3, 2019 | Animation News
Animation du Monde 2020 NAICCON’s Winning Crop!
Nairobi Comic Con hosted Animation du Monde for the second year. East Africa produced a bumper crop of animation talent for penultimate Animation du Monde 2020 preliminary round in Sub-Saharan Africa. Like always, only 3 could be chosen to go through to the Animation du Monde 2020 African Continental Final taking place at DISCOP Johannesburg.
- Agent 254 by Lydia Mugure (Kenya)
- Rosa’s Diary by Ndanusa Danjuma Judah (Nigeria)
- The Fam by Kabelo Maaka (South Africa)
The Fam had been entered into a previous edition of Animation du Monde. Like so many other projects, Kabelo did not make it through to the continental final. Unlike many others, Kabelo took the feedback the judges gave her. She improved her pitch to win the day at NAICCON 2019.
One of the core missions of Animation du Monde is to teach creatives that it’s not the winning that matters but the journey. Failure is part of the creative process. Because, as an individual, it is important to stand up and try again.
The final Sub Saharan preliminary round of Animation du Monde 2020 is taking place at Lagos Comic Con. Which is an opportunity to enter for the first time or your second, third, or even umpteenth time. The competition regulations can be viewed HERE.
As a developing animation industry, Africa and its creatives have to take every opportunity to learn. We might have unique stories to tell. But, we still have to develop our creative sensibilities. Something that the judges that sit on the Animation du Monde panels have helped with.
If you have a project that you would like to enter, please click HERE. Who knows, you might represent Africa at the Animation du Monde 2020 Grand Finale in Annecy!
Subscribe to our newsletter and keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for news on when the preliminary rounds will be in your region!
Garland-Waide Bradford has a career path that has varied from corporate work as a public relations manager in communications strategy to media work as an insert producer for factual television. These were purposeful choices to understand how to integrate creative choices with market requirements in turning content into brands. Growing up in a township meant that these educational opportunities were out of reach due to access and financial constraints. But, having paid his dues through work, Bradford is a dynamic thinker who owns a skills set that is third industrial revolution ready. He completed his BA Honours in Media Studies in 2017. His focus has been on media management and has been studying models of sustainability in the media for several years. He started his journey with the African Animation Network as Head of Communications in 2017 where he hopes to use his skills to empower aspirant animation professionals and member associations to further their global reach.
by Garland-Waide Bradford | Aug 27, 2019 | Animation News
Animation du Monde 2020 ends Sub-Saharan run at Lagos Comic Con!
The Sub-Saharan circuit of Animation du Monde 2020 preliminary rounds comes to an end in Nigeria at Lagos Comic Convention (LCC) from 19 – 21 September 2019. With the penultimate leg having taken place over this past weekend at Nairobi Comic Con (NAICCON).
Entries for LCC are currently open, end 5 September 2019.
Once the LCC prelim is concluded, the next stop for the prestigious pitching competition is the Continental Finals at DISCOP Johannesburg in November 2019, where the 15 finalists (3 from each of the 5 regional prelims) will compete for the honour of being 1 of the 2 winners selected to represent the continent and compete against their global counterparts at Annecy Int. Animated Film Fest. & Market/MIFA (Annecy/MIFA) in 2020. On the back of the recent news that Africa will be honoured at Annecy/MIFA 2020 as part of the Africa 2020 Creative Season, this represents arguably the biggest opportunity for African creators to showcase their talent and content on a global stage.
Nigeria is home to the largest comic book market in Africa. The creative industries have been able to leverage the largest population on the continent and the second largest film industry in the world by volume, Nollywood, to build this success. Although animation is fairly new to the region, an event like LCC has shown that there is a hunger for content from the continent. As a sister industry to animation, comics have been able to lay a solid foundation for creatives to work from.
As one of the oldest comic cons in Africa, LCC is a great platform for creators to showcase their work. Lagos is also home to some of the best talent West Africa has to offer. The maiden preliminary round of Animation du Monde hosted at LCC 2018, brought some of the best animation talent to the fore. Dami Solesi, one of the Continental Winners of the competition, came through the LCC 2018 prelim to pitch her idea at Annecy/MIFA 2019.
Dami had the following to say about her experience pitching against competitors from around the world at the Animation du Monde finals in France; “Going through the Annecy/MIFA pitches has opened my eyes to a new world of content production and how I can bring my ideas to life. From the onset at the LCC, my project was constantly being refined at each stage. At DISCOP Johannesburg, meeting with each of the experts and the infallible contribution that each expert made towards the project. They even provided opportunities beyond the competition and I’m still in communication with many of them as regards updates on my project. I believe every single creative who has an idea should definitely apply for this because going through the process, whether you win or not your project would be refined. And I believe that those lessons are invaluable to any creative as of right now!”
The budding animation industry in Nigeria is creating room for itself in its market of entertainment. It is going up against and working in tandem with the second largest film industry in the world by volume, Nollywood. Which is remarkable in an industry where most of the creatives are self-taught. And, have borrowed many processes from its sister industry, the Nigerian comic book sector.
One of the entrepreneurs in the region is Mbuotidem Johnson, owner of Basement Studios, founder of Animation Nigeria and Animation du Monde participant at Annecy/MIFA 2018. He has this to say about his experience in the competition; “Whenever I am asked to talk about my experience at Annecy, I say it is ’Disneyland for filmmakers’. I had dreamed of going to Annecy for as long as I can remember, and I am glad this dream became a reality in 2018. My whole perspective of the animation industry changed. We had just completed the pilot episode of one of our projects (Adefellas) and were in need of funds to complete it. So I packed my bags and headed to DISCOP Abidjan 2017 in search of funding and distribution opportunities. While networking and exchanging ideas with other animation studios I met Ingrid Agbo, a Togolese film-maker with Nebularts in Paris. Ingrid was one of the top 9 semi-finalists for the Animation du Monde pitches at DISCOP Abidjan. She saw some of our work and decided Basement Animation would create a new pilot episode for her show L’Arbre à Palimpseste. We successfully completed the new pilot episode for Nebularts in time for DISCOP Johannesburg 2017. L’arbre à Palimpseste would eventually be one of 2 projects selected and received automatic entry into the Animation du Monde global program at Annecy 2018 where it won an historic presale from Gulli Africa! What I appreciate the most about this sharing of experiences is that you get to listen to people who have experienced the same challenges that you are going through, and learn how they overcame these challenges. If you are thinking globally and want to be a part of the big move of animation in Africa, Annecy is the place to be!”
As Africa rises and many look to the continent’s growth. Animation has a key role to play in the lives of audiences. Animation du Monde is the one platform that offers Africans the opportunity to showcase their talent on a global stage. It is also a space for creatives to learn, grow, and improve their projects to meet the needs of the market.
Don’t let this final opportunity at LCC pass you by, enter HERE!
Subscribe to our newsletter and keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for news on when the preliminary rounds will be in your region!
Garland-Waide Bradford has a career path that has varied from corporate work as a public relations manager in communications strategy to media work as an insert producer for factual television. These were purposeful choices to understand how to integrate creative choices with market requirements in turning content into brands. Growing up in a township meant that these educational opportunities were out of reach due to access and financial constraints. But, having paid his dues through work, Bradford is a dynamic thinker who owns a skills set that is third industrial revolution ready. He completed his BA Honours in Media Studies in 2017. His focus has been on media management and has been studying models of sustainability in the media for several years. He started his journey with the African Animation Network as Head of Communications in 2017 where he hopes to use his skills to empower aspirant animation professionals and member associations to further their global reach.
by Garland-Waide Bradford | Aug 8, 2019 | Animation News
AAFFia Animation du Monde 2020 winners!
The first edition of the Accra Animation Film Festival (AAFFia) is done. Along with shining a spotlight on animation AAFFia also hosted the third leg of the Pan-African Animation du Monde preliminary rounds.
In each round that passes during the competition, creators are delivering higher and higher quality work. Unfortunately, only three can go through to the Continental Finals taking place at DISCOP Johannesburg later this year. The winners from AAFFia, in no particular order are:
- Meet the Igwes by Chekwube Okonkwo (Nigeria)
- JujuCups by Selorm Dogoe (Ghana)
- Message Beats by Natasha Nayo and Lizz Johnson (Ghana)
AAFFia highlighted the importance of audience access to animation. Without it the industry will not be able to grow and evolve. Animation du Monde is the other part of that equation. It provides education, networking and a platform for creatives to market their ideas.
The balance between audience and creatives is important. They form the foundation of the animation industry. One of the core missions Animation du Monde has, is to enable developing industries like Africa to grow. West Africa as a growth market is attracting the attention of the world. Stories coming from this region have the potential to live alongside really well known commercial properties. As the Annecy Int. Animated Film Fest’ & Market/MIFA looks towards its 60th year in 2020, where they will be celebrating Africa as a region of honour, it is important to create the platform for creatives to showcase their work. And, next year, show the world what Africa is capable of!
The call for the fourth prelim of the Pan-African Animation du Monde taking place at Nairobi Comic Con (NAICCON) is currently open. Contestants have until 11 August to submit their project and can do so by clicking HERE. Video pitches will be accepted for those not able to attend the preliminary regional round at NAICCON however, candidates who are able to attend the event will be given preference. The competition regulations can be viewed HERE.
If you have a project that you would like to enter, please click HERE. Who knows, you might represent Africa at the Animation du Monde 2020 Grand Finale in Annecy!
Subscribe to our newsletter and keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for news on when the preliminary rounds will be in your region!
Garland-Waide Bradford has a career path that has varied from corporate work as a public relations manager in communications strategy to media work as an insert producer for factual television. These were purposeful choices to understand how to integrate creative choices with market requirements in turning content into brands. Growing up in a township meant that these educational opportunities were out of reach due to access and financial constraints. But, having paid his dues through work, Bradford is a dynamic thinker who owns a skills set that is third industrial revolution ready. He completed his BA Honours in Media Studies in 2017. His focus has been on media management and has been studying models of sustainability in the media for several years. He started his journey with the African Animation Network as Head of Communications in 2017 where he hopes to use his skills to empower aspirant animation professionals and member associations to further their global reach.
by Garland-Waide Bradford | Aug 3, 2019 | Animation News
East Africa welcomes Animation du Monde 2020!
After making its way through South and West Africa, Animation du Monde turns to East Africa. Nairobi Comic Con (NAICCON) 2019 hosts the fourth leg of the Pan-African Animation du Monde 2020 preliminary rounds from 24 – 25 August 2019.
Entries are currently open, end 11 August 2019.
Past entrants from NAICCON include Salim Busuru. He presented his title at the 2018 Continental Finals at DISCOP Johannesburg. He summed up his experience; “The animation competition broadened my perspective on animation on the continent, it confirmed that I was on the right path in my pursuit of animation. Meeting the other participants and the mentorship from the judges as well as the organisers was invaluable. I believe it compensated a lot for my lack of formal training in animation and storytelling”.
NAICCON takes place in one of the most vibrant cities in Africa. Nairobi, much like the rest of East Africa, has seen amazing growth over the last decade. This includes the foothold pop culture has been able to take in the region. This is in part due to the larger youth population and economic growth. The internet has also added fuel to the fire.
Access to the world’s library of knowledge has made it possible for people to teach themselves the skills they want. Over the three years of running the Pan-African Animation du Monde, the African Animation Network has seen this first hand. Many entrants are self-taught, growing their skills by consuming vast amounts of tutorials and sharing knowledge with each other.
NAICCON as a host encapsulates the heart of the innovative East African spirit. Artists from comics and animation will gather to showcase their creations. The Pan-African Animation du Monde preliminary round is also one of the few places where these creatives can network.
The region has in the past also been the home of some of Africa’s best animation ideas, an example of this at the very highest level is Naddya Adhiambo Oluoch-Olunya who won Animation du Monde at the global finals this year at Annecy with her project UZI. With the world looking to the continent as a growth centre, East Africa is expected to play a big role in the growth of the animation industry on the continent.
This is another opportunity to enter Animation du Monde with 3 contestants going through to the Continental Finals at DISCOP Johannesburg in November. The announcement by Annecy Int. Animated Film Fest. & Market/MIFA that they will focus on Africa in 2020 is an opportunity for creators from the continent to showcase their content. So take the chance and enter HERE!
Subscribe to our newsletter and keep an eye on our Facebook page and website for news on when the preliminary rounds will be in your region!
Garland-Waide Bradford has a career path that has varied from corporate work as a public relations manager in communications strategy to media work as an insert producer for factual television. These were purposeful choices to understand how to integrate creative choices with market requirements in turning content into brands. Growing up in a township meant that these educational opportunities were out of reach due to access and financial constraints. But, having paid his dues through work, Bradford is a dynamic thinker who owns a skills set that is third industrial revolution ready. He completed his BA Honours in Media Studies in 2017. His focus has been on media management and has been studying models of sustainability in the media for several years. He started his journey with the African Animation Network as Head of Communications in 2017 where he hopes to use his skills to empower aspirant animation professionals and member associations to further their global reach.
