Animation du Monde / AAFFIA / 2nd Judge & Mentor Announced

Animation du Monde / AAFFIA / 2nd Judge & Mentor Announced

Animation du Monde / AAFFIA / 2nd Judge & Mentor Announced!

The Pan-African Animation du Monde pitching competition readies for the 3rd preliminary round to take place at the inaugural Accra Animation Film Festival

Animation du Monde 2020 heads to Ghana! @AAFFia

One of the benefits winners of the preliminary round get, is that their projects will be get feedback from industry professionals. These judges and mentors have played pivotal roles in the evolution of the global animation industry over the last few decades.

One of these judges and mentors who will be attending the Continental Finals of Animation du Monde at DISCOP Johannesburg is Mike de Seve, the Emmy Award nominated President of Baboon Animation (the New York-based IP development studio which has 27 Emmy Awards collectively and numerous Oscar nominations). His career started with the creation of the iconic, animated, MTV logos. He would go on to write and direct the pop culture phenomenon Beavis & Butt-Head. His fingerprints can be seen on projects like Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, Toy Story, Madagascar and many other international animated feature film and TV series productions.

MIKE DE SEVE, PRESIDENT BABOON ANIMATION UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

African content is so accessible. The things that make people in Africa love it is the same reason a kid in Brooklyn will too. I’m excited to be part of this and to see where it’s [African] animation will go in the next few years.” Mike said in a recent interview.

The Accra Animation Film Festival is an opportunity for creatives to gather and share their ideas. Making it the ideal place for the next round of Animation du Monde preliminaries. Although, it is a brand new festival, the Accra Animation Film Festival is an important step for the animation industry in the region. North-West Africa is due to have the largest population on the continent over the next few decades. This has fueled the growth of the comic book industry in the region and now stands as the largest on the continent. As a sister industry to animation it is an indication of the heights that can be reached

The animation market includes children and adults in a way that very few other storytelling crafts do. Growing it on the continent allows creatives to be able to reach the world with African narratives. And, as the world moves towards more inclusive stories, Mike’s words ring true in our ability to move people on the other side of the world with our tales.

Animation du Monde is playing pivotal role in growing the African animation industry. Prior to its inception there had been few pitching platforms accessible to African creatives to see if they have what it takes to get people interested in their projects. The competition has also created an avenue for producers to pitch and gain feedback from some of the best minds in the industry.

Pitching is an important skill every creative needs if they want their ideas financed and produced. You might not have a polished project yet but, even this year’s illustrious judges started somewhere. They are willing to share their knowledge with those who make it to the Continental Finals at DISCOP Johannesburg

The third round of the preliminaries of the Pan-African Animation du Monde are taking place at AAFFIA and entry is currently open.  Contestants have until the 12th of July to submit their project and can do so by clicking HERE.

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FUPiTOONS and FUPiSAURUS are looking for content!

FUPiTOONS and FUPiSAURUS are looking for content!

FUPiTOONS and FUPiSAURUS are looking for content!

FUPiTOONS and FUPiSAURUS are looking for content!

The African short film festival for kids, FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL, is on the prowl with its mascot FUPiSAURUS looking for African animated shorts.

FUPiTOONS launched in 2017 in Johannesburg. In the years since its debut it has screened in over 9 African countries and Brazil. And, brought FUPiSAURUS to life for the 2018 edition of the festival. The call for shorts for the third edition is now open HERE

In the past the festival has showcased shorts from across Africa including the highly acclaimed comedy film A Kalabanda Ate My Homework by Raymond Malinga. The film, which explores the heights of a child’s imagination, won Best Short Film at FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL 2018 and has won several other awards across Africa.

FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL aims to bring attention to the African animation industry by showcasing the best animated shorts the continent has to offer. By making its target audience children, FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL also attracts their parents. This shows them that there are African stories for children that they can watch. It also raises the profile of the craft across the continent.

The categories from which movies will be nominated in are :

  • Best Animation Short Film
  • Best Animation TV Short Films, Episodes and Webisodes
  • Best Commissioned Animation Short Films,
  • Best Graduation Animation Short Films,
  • Best Overall Animation

If you have a short film aimed at children, and a run time of no longer than 5 minutes, FUPiSAURUS is looking for you and your movie! This year’s festival will launch during DISCOP Johannesburg in November 2019 before embarking on another journey across the continent. Entries close on 1st September 2019.

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!


FUPiTOONS et FUPiSAURUS recherchent du contenu!

FUPiTOONS and FUPiSAURUS are looking for content!

Le festival du court métrage africain pour enfants, FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL, est à l’affût avec sa mascotte FUPiSAURUS à la recherche de courts métrages d’animation africains.

 FUPiTOONS a été lancé en 2017 à Johannesburg. Au cours des années qui ont suivi son lancement, il a été projeté dans plus de 9 pays africains et au Brésil. Et, FUPiSAURUS a donné vie à l’édition 2018 du festival. L’appel à la candidature pour la troisième édition est maintenant ouvert ICI

Dans le passé, le festival a présenté des courts métrages venus de toute l’Afrique, y compris le film de comédie très acclamé « A Kalabanda Ate My Homework » de Raymond Malinga. Le film, qui explore les sommets de l’imagination d’un enfant, a remporté le prix du meilleur court métrage à FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL 2018 et a remporté plusieurs autres prix à travers l’Afrique.

FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL a pour but d’attirer l’attention sur l’industrie africaine de l’animation en présentant les meilleurs courts métrages d’animation que le continent peut offrir. En faisant de son public cible des enfants, FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL attire également leurs parents. Cela leur montre qu’il existe des histoires africaines pour enfants qu’ils peuvent regarder. Il rehausse également le profil de l’artisanat à travers le continent

Les catégories à partir desquelles les films seront nominés sont: 

  • Meilleur court métrage d’animation, 
  • Meilleurs films d’animation TV, épisodes et webisodes,
  • Meilleur court métrage d’animation commandé
  • Meilleur court métrage d’animation de fin d’études
  • Meilleure animation globale

Si vous avez un court métrage destiné aux enfants et d’une durée maximale de 5 minutes, FUPiSAURUS recherche pour vous et votre film! Le festival de cette année s’ouvrira lors de DISCOP Johannesburg en novembre 2019 avant de s’embarquer pour un autre voyage à travers le continent. Les inscriptions ont déjà commencé et se clôturent le 1er septembre 2019

Abonnez-vous à notre newsletter et gardez un œil sur notre page Facebook et notre site Web pour savoir quand les tours préliminaires auront lieu dans votre région!

 

Animation du Monde 2020 heads to Ghana!

Animation du Monde 2020 heads to Ghana!

Animation du Monde 2020 heads to Ghana!

ANNECY FESTIVAL ANIMATION DU MONDE

The third leg of the Pan-African Animation du Monde 2020 preliminary rounds is on its way to the Accra Animation Film Festival (AAFFIA). This is both the launch of the festival and of Animation du Monde in Ghana

Animation du Monde 2020 heads to Ghana! @AAFFia

Animation film festivals are opportunities for creatives to gather. A place where they share their experience, connect, network, and discuss their hopes for the future of the craft.  Some festivals like Annecy Int. Animated Film Fest’ & Market/MIFA, who are honouring Africa next year as part of the Africa 2020 Creative Season, are looking forward to their 60th anniversary.  Others, like AAFFIA, are celebrating their inaugural event.

AAFFIA is joining a growing number of African animation film festivals which include the likes of; the Festival international du cinéma d’animation de Meknès/FICAM in Morocco (which was started in 2001), Cape Town International Animation Film Festival/CTIAF in South Africa (launched in 2011 as Kunjanimation & rebranded in 2015 as CTIAF), FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL (launched in 2017 and having toured 9 countries in 2018 and +11 countries in 2019, the African Animation Network’s FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL is Africa’s biggest animation short film festival) and Festival du Film d’Animation d’Abidjan/FFAA (launched in 2018). These festivals play an important role in raising the profile of African animation.  Something Animation du Monde has also come to embody.

This is something, Diana Rosu, the mind behind the creation of the AAFFIA festival is keenly aware of.  She said; “In my experience as an animation producer as well as working with creatives and animators across Africa, it is imperative to know your project’s ins and outs.  Too many animation projects start out as passion projects and never see completion because the director or the team involved have lost track of the initial framework along the way.  Annecy and Animation du Monde are setting the bar high for animation industries that are still malleable and are now defining themselves and that’s an excellent way to ensure that they become competitive on the global market.“

DIANA ROSU FOUNDER OF AAFFIA

Animation du Monde and AAFFIA provide creatives with opportunities to have their short film project, series concept, or feature length movie seen by the world while it is still in its incubation phase.  This is something that hadn’t existed for one of Africa’s most celebrated animation filmmakers, Ghanaian local (and FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL DirectorComfort Arthur. Her movie Black Barbie has traveled around the world (to over 50 international film festivals) to much acclaim. She persevered in an environment that didn’t have opportunities like these.

COMFORT ARTHUR DIRECTOR OF BLACK BARBIE & FUPiTOONS FESTiVAL DIRECTOR

She shared the following; “It’s not just about winning at the Animation du Monde pitching competition but, it’s also about learning how to pitch and get better.  Many creatives in Africa have great ideas but are not good pitchers! Since I took part in the first edition in 2017, my pitching skills have improved and I have learned so much about how to best present my projects to potential investors.” 

The call for the third prelim of the Pan-African Animation du Monde taking place at AAFFIA is currently open.  Contestants have until the 12th of July to submit their project and can do so by clicking HEREVideo pitches will be accepted for those not able to attend the preliminary regional round at AAFFIA however, candidates who are able to attend the event will be given preference.  The competition regulations can be viewed 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!

 

DISCOP Abidjan Animation du Monde 2020 Winners

DISCOP Abidjan Animation du Monde 2020 Winners

DISCOP Abidjan Animation du Monde 2020 Winners

ANNECY FESTIVAL ANIMATION DU MONDE

 

The Pan-African Animation du Monde 2020 season is in full swing. The second leg of this year’s competition completed at the end of May at DISCOP Abidjan. The winners are currently preparing for the Continental Finals taking place at DISCOP Johannesburg later this year.  The winners in no particular order are:

  • The Oil of Amadi by Matthew Brown (South Africa) and Harrison Yinfaowei (Nigeria)
  • Tchamba by Doh D Daiga (Burkina Faso)
  • Orisha Pikin by Archange Kiyindou (Republic of the Congo)

Animation du Monde has had a huge impact on the African animation landscape in the 3 years that it has been run by the African Animation Network through a partnership with DISCOP Markets and Annecy Int. Animated Film Fest’ & Market/MIFA. The improvement in the quality of projects being presented are testament to this. Creators are being afforded an opportunity to compete on an international stage via the competitionApart from being the place where the first Pan-African Animation du Monde pitches were held in 2017, DISCOP Abidjan plays a pivotal role in reaching the Francophone African creative community. At the moment, it is the only leg of the competition that takes place in a Francophone African country and has also been the launch pad for the contest into West Africa in the last two years.

The recent announcement by Annecy Int. Animated Film Fest’ & Market/MIFA that Africa will be the continent of honour for Annecy 2020 as part of the African 2020 Creative Season, coincides with the festival celebrating 60 years of existence. It is encouraging creatives from Africa to showcase their skills and talents and is a special moment for animation on the continent to share its rich history of art.

The call for the third prelim of the Pan-African Animation du Monde taking place at Accra Animation Film Festival (AAFFIA) is currently open. This will be the first time that Animation du Monde will be taking place in Ghana, a country with a rich history of animation and talent.  Contestants have until the 12th of July 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 AAFFIA however, candidates who are able to attend the event will be given preference.  The competition regulations can be viewed 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!

 

DISCOMICS IQEMBU launches Partner Studio Program

DISCOMICS IQEMBU launches Partner Studio Program

African Animation Network and Animation Nigeria land first international service job & DISCOMICS IQEMBU grows its footprint with the PARTNER STUDIO PROGRAM.

DISCOMICS IQEMBU launches Partner Studio ProgramUnder the DISCOMICS IQEMBU umbrella (IQEMBU means cluster isiZulu) the African Animation Network (AAN), in partnership with Animation Nigeria (AN), has delivered on its promise to build a sustainable animation industry in Africa.  DISCOMICS IQEMBU has secured a 2D animated service project through its industry partner Toonz Media Group. Episodes of the Chinese kids’ TV series, Wool Wool Town, will be produced in Lagos by a collective of 8 studios comprising +50 animators.  This is the first international service job that the fledgling Nigerian animation industry has been able to secure and will keep said studios busy for at least the next 10 months.

On the back of this massive success for the Nigerian (and by extension the broader African) animation industry, DISCOMICS IQEMBU is launching its PARTNER STUDIO PROGRAM. Partner studios will form part of a capacity-and-efficiency-building pipeline, whereby service work from partners such as Toonz Media Group, and Baboon Animation, will be funneled.

As an incubator, accelerator, and cluster (read more HERE), DISCOMICS IQMEBU’s current focus is on partnering with small to medium enterprises within the African animation industry with a long term view of collaborating with African creators to bring their original IP to market.

Through research, AAN has been able to establish that service work is the foundation on which older animation industries like Japan and India have been built on. As a business model it creates both an income as well as the space to learn industry best practice. It also creates an environment where a culture of excellence is infused into original IP.

AAN launched the DISCOMICS IQEMBU in November 2018. This initiative is made possible through AAN’s partnership with DISCOMICS, Toonz Media Group, Baboon Animation, DISCOP Markets, and Toon Boom. The purpose of these investments is to grow the African animation industry.

Toonz Media Group and AAN started looking at different projects as part of the partnership. “Wool Wool Town fit the parameters and the goals we have set for the DISCOMICS IQEMBU.” said Nick Wilson Head of Projects & Content at AAN. In December 2018 AAN and AN animated a test for the 2D kids series. According to Toonz it was one of their best tests delivered through their network of approximately 100 network of partner studios.

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Head Judge & Mentor for Animation du Monde 2020 Announced

Head Judge & Mentor for Animation du Monde 2020 Announced

Head Judge & Mentor for Animation du Monde 2020 Announced / DISCOP Abidjan

 

ANNECY FESTIVAL ANIMATION DU MONDE

 

The Pan-African Animation du Monde pitching competition has, in its short history, come to represent a window of opportunity for creators of animation content on the continent. DISCOP Abidjan is gearing up to welcome the best and brightest for the 3rd edition of this prestigious contest at the market. Both of these partnerships align with the African Animation Network’s (AAN) cornerstones in creating a sustainable creative industry in Africa. Giving producers market access as well as an opportunity to build relationships within the industry that will result in turning ideas into content.

ANIMATION DU MONDE 2020 @ DISCOP ABIDJAN

Animation du Monde’s mission is to give animation projects in developing animation industries from across the world the opportunity to participate at the highest level internationally during the MIFA Pitches. The MIFA Pitches are arguably the biggest animation focused pitching forum in the world and take place against the backdrop of the Annecy Int. Animated Film Fest’ & Market/MIFA (Annecy/MIFA).

“The last 3 years of having partnered with AAN to host Animation du Monde Pan-Africa have been really exciting for us at MIFA.” Said, Géraldine Baché, Head of Education & Projects at MIFA. “We have been able to identify and mentor talents that we would ordinarily have never had access to.  And this is really at the crux of what we are intending to do with Animation du Monde; firstly, and very importantly, skills development as many of the contestants have never had any formal training but are extremely talented and passionate and, secondly, for the top talents, to give them access to the global animation industry during the MIFA Pitches.  I am looking forward to resuming my role as the Head Judge & Mentor at the Continental Finals of Animation du Monde at DISCOP Johannesburg in November and working with more amazing African animation talents!”

Contestants have until the 17th of May 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 DISCOP Abidjan however, candidates who are able to attend the event will be given preference.  The competition regulations can be viewed HERE. 

Wilfrid Paré, General coordinator of Association Burkinabè du Cinéma d’Animation (ABCA), describes his Animation du Monde experience: “Initiating ABCA’s partnership with AAN in 2017, was one of the most beautiful things that happened to me professionally. I have seen Africa express itself in its diversity and beauty through enthusiastic and creative young people who proudly carry their uniqueness. Uniqueness that they try to communicate to the world at the DISCOP Markets and ultimately, if they are successful, at Annecy. The Regional and Continental phases of Animation du Monde, which I took part in, accelerated my skills development. I met people that are convinced that it is possible to tell beautiful stories on the continent. It moved me and made me aware that another Africa is possible, a CREATIVE Africa.”

Africa’s animation industry is still developing. In recognition of the challenges that creators face in being able to reach a market there is a strong focus on animated short film and series this year. These formats have created opportunities in the past for African producers to forge continental and international partnerships to produce their content.

The variety of stories that exist in Africa is a testament to the diversity of its more than 1.2 billion people. Animation du Monde is creating a platform for the world to learn more about this population. The most widely spoken languages across the continent might be English, French, Arabic, and Portuagese, but story is creating a new means to understand who we are as Africans. Something our two African finalists, Nildo Essa (Mozambique) and Dami Solesi (Nigeria)hope to achieve at the  Animation du Monde MIFA pitches finale taking place at the Annecy/MIFA 2019.

DISCOP Abidjan is the second of 5 preliminary rounds of the Pan-African Animation du Monde 2020. Through the DISCOMICS footprint– an initiative run by DISCOP Markets and AAN– and which includes partnerships with 3 of Africa’s longest running comic conventions, AAN will be hosting 4 regional prelims in Johannesburg (at ICON CGC), Abidjan (at DISCOP Abidjan), Lagos (at Lagos Comic Con), and Nairobi (at Nairobi Comic Con).  Because, the partners are always looking to create new opportunities for creators across Africa, AAN has partnered with the Accra Animation Film Festival (AAFFia) to add a 5th regional prelim.

At the Continental Finals held at DISCOP Johannesburg 2018, all the finalists got to work on their projects with industry heavy hitters who were both judges and mentors. These included names like Alexis Ducord & Arthur de Pins (Co-directors of Zombillenium), Mike de Seve (Creative Director at Baboon Animation), Rathan Sam George (COO of Toonz Media Group), and Géraldine Baché (Head of Projects at MIFA). As part of the Annecy – MIFA Animation du Monde – Skills Programme, a programme of workshops, masterclasses, one-on-one project evaluations and pitch practice sessions were run at DISCOP Johannesburg ahead of the continental final. Participants were given valuable insights into both improving their projects and their pitching techniques.

“The value of entering a pitch competition like Animation du Monde goes far beyond winning or losing. Through it you build relationships, your confidence to sell your project, and most of all the insight of industry professionals with years of experience with projects from around the world.” says Nick Wilson, Head of Projects & Content at AAN.

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