NIgerian animation studio making waves... Magic Carpet Studios

Magic Carpet Studios are based in Lekki, Lagos and look to be a force on the African animation scene. My recent visit to Lagos included a visit to their studios where a met a great team of animation enthusiasts. Their animations range between 2D and 3D and include a range of styles. My favourite things about their animations are the layout and design, fantastic timing and laugh out loud comedy. I included a couple of my favourites below






The studio is also embarking upon its first feature length animation based on an adaptation of the book "The passport of Mallam Ilia" by the Nigerian literary legend, Cyprian Ekwensi. 
The sneak peek we got of the teaser trailer has great design and action and looks intriguing so we should keep an eye out for this animation. 

AFRICA IN MOTION 2016.... Great Festival - Great Line-up!

AFRICA IN MOTION 28 October - 6 November

This year Africa in Motion (AIM) has a fantastic line up of films and animation from the continent. In the past the festival has had animation programs that included a range of work for children and adult audiences, alongside the opportunity to get stuck in with workshops where you could be making you own animations with different African artists. The festival runs in Scotland and is by far a go-to festival for anyone interested in African film and animation. This year amongst its other films, it will include animations such as 

 - Khumba; Anthony Silverston | South Africa | 2013 | 1h25m | U http://www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/programme/glasgow/?eid=99


 - Yellow Fever; Ng'endo Mukii| UK 2012 | 7m | Animation | PG
http://www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/programme/glasgow/?eid=41

 - Early Autumn; Jac Hamman | South Africa 2014 | 2m | Afrikaans with English subtitles | Animation | 15
http://www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/programme/glasgow/?eid=42

 - An Ordinary Blue Monday; Naomi van Niekerk | South Africa 2014 | 3m | Afrikaans with English subtitles | Animation | PG
http://www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/programme/glasgow/?eid=44

 - The Migrant Business; Ng'endo Mukii | Kenya 2015 | 6m | 15
http://www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/programme/glasgow/?eid=8

 - Zarafa; Remi Bezancon and Jean-Christophe Lie | France 2015 | 1h20m | Animation | U
http://www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/programme/edinburgh/?eid=9

Adamu Waziri talks to SMART MONKEY TV

Animation director and producer Adamu Waziri  based in Abuja, Nigeria talks to SMART MONKEY TV about their new Bino and Fino episodes and projects that are on the way, including crowdfunding, merchandising, and the transnational audiences across the world.



You can check out his company website on EVCL

Ghana's Children's Animated Series Anokye

The animated series Anokye: The Truth of Destiny presents the story of ' the adventures of the young magician Anokye and his best friend Prince Osei as they battle to free the people from the evil King and save the sacred forest' it is currently in production in Ghana. Producer Akua Ofosuhene has launched a kickstarter project that details the series can can be found here Anokye

Animation Training in Dakar

BBC World News - 'Embracing Animation in Africa' ran a story on a new initiative based in Dakar that uses EU funding to train 10 African artists in animation. The artists come from various countries including Senegal, Mali, Madagascar, Congo and Comor...Their work includes 2D and 3D animation and upon completion they will return back to their countries with seed funding to make their own films. You can watch the video at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29009063?SThisFB

Politicised Creativity PAWA254

Kenya's Creative Hub for political and social action through the arts and digital media is mobilising Kenyan youth through different workshops. Amongst their very comprehensive lineup, they included some animation workshops by Allan Mwaniki on 9th August 2014 - title Pencil to Pixels - this is one of a series in collaboration with the Association of Animation Artistes Kenya.

Check out PAWA254!

Interview with Jean Michel Kibushi

A3 Kenya Launch their Animation Competition - 'BUSTED'

The Kenyan Association of Animation Artists (A3) Organisation is launching a great 30 Second Competition under the theme BUSTED. The prizes are great incentive to get on board 100,000 Kenyan Shillings (1200 USD) for the first prize. Anyone can apply and upload their work online... the deadline is coming up soon 25th of May and I am excited to see the entries. For more information you can contact the Association of Animation Artists Kenya on their Facebook page

Archiving African Animation - FCAT

Although this archive is not strictly an archive for animation, and includes film. The FCAT film archive includes a healthy selection of African animation. FCAT also runs a yearly African Film Festival in Cordoba. This archive is an important addition to bodies that are preserving and documenting African animation.

You can see the list of all films and animations at FCAT


These include

Animación (69)

• Ma Gaal Dikhan
• 21ème Siècle
• A mãe dos netos
• Agaïssa
• Anomalías eléctricas
• Blad schizophrène
• Bon Voyage Sim
• Carnet noir
• Champion
• Cortos animados egipcios
• Ding Dong
• Down Rising
• El viaje de Saïd
• Famila
• Fleur de pierre
• Forest Chainsaw Massacre
• Fragment de vie
• Give Me Spray
• Guess Who's Coming for Dinner
• HM HM
• Honayn's Shoe
• Humburgun
• J'ai bu du café dans un café
• Ki l'ambouba
• Kinshasa Septembre noir
• Kirikou et la sorcière
• Kirikou et les bêtes sauvages
• Kokoa
• Krash
• L'Ami y'a bon
• L'Arbre aux esprits
• L'Arrêt du bus
• L'enfant Roi
• L'Enfant terrible
• L'Île
• La cita
• La Ruse du lièvre
• Le crapaud chez ses beaux-parents
• Le Guerbag
• Le Quotidien des automates
• Le Voyageur
• Les aventures de Guédé
• Les Deux Souris blanches
• Lie / Les Coulisses de lie
• L’Enfant Roi
• Maalesh
• Madagascar, Carnet de voyage
• Muana Mboka
• Naissance
• One and Five
• Oni Ise Owo
• Prince Loseno
• Rakire
• Revolution
• Ryeh
• Sacou Wala Bouteil
• Salade
• Samba le grand
• Samurai song
• Shiku Song
• Sopo
• Sur les murs de la ville
• Tengers
• The Tale of How
• Tiga au bout du fil
• Tiga guérisseur
• Trip
• Varavarankely
• Warda

2D Animation... All about Kenya: Made in Kenya

Kwame Nyongo's animation for EU and Kenya

Ezra Wube makes his mark in Time Square

Ethiopian artist and animator has recently shown his work as part of the Time Square Public Art Project - Midnight Moments. In a similar vein to his other work, Ezra looks at journeys from places and through spaces.

The Colonial Friend / L'ami y'a bon (2004)

Another great addition to the collection of African animation, this coproduction (between Algeria and France) directed by Rachid Bouchareb tells the story of a 'Senegalese family man Aby enlists in the army, distinguishes himself in battle, and is captured. But when he returns to his country, the French army refuses to pay him for his services. This beautifully animated film records the 1944 incident in which Senegalese veterans were gunned down after demanding payment for their military service.'

kenyan animation blog...

For current information on the animation scene in Kenya and a great contribution to the blogosphere

kenyanimators makes for a welcome addition to online information about anything animation in Kenya...

KENYAN ANIMATORS PAVILION 

Check out the great post dated 29 July 2013, on this years National Film Conference and Exhibition in Nairobi 

Ghana - the animated short inspired by Ghana

The talents of the 19 year old Ghanian Illustrator and Animator Gyimah Gariba currently studying at Sheridan on show in this little short inspired by Ghana....
You can read all about his endeavours on his blog at http://ggariba.blogspot.co.uk/ 

Ghana from Gyimah on Vimeo.

Ghana from Gyimah on Vimeo.

resources for discussions on African animation.... IMAGINAFRIK

IMAGINAFRIK is a great online resource/ community of individuals interested, talking about and making African animation. Whilst it is mostly in French, google translate does a good job of translating to the relevant language of your choice. The discussions in the forum are varied from South Africa to Burkina Faso, in places with inserted videos to watch. Its a treasure trove of topical discussions and worth exploring...



a little discovery made somewhere in the trails of discussions...

Wube's 'new home'... and recurring motifs

Ethiopian Ezra Wube recently released his animated film  - 'new home : addis bet' - another beautiful contribution to his body of work that evokes the similar motifs that appear in his earlier animated films, the amharic text, the sense of travelling, the nomadic silhouetted figures and the goat! His work is all featured on his youtube channel Ezrademas.

Bino and Fino at the MoAD

The Museum of African Diaspora in San Francisco will be screening Bino and Fino for all to watch... how refreshing to see animation exhibited alongside other art forms still or moving.

NDINADSAWAPANGA - I Will Tell International Film Festival

This year's IWILLTELL Film Festival will be screening a special category of African World Film Festival Selections, and the Anime Caribe selection. The selection includes a collection of animated shorts ranging from traditional drawn animation such as Rooted by Victor Opeyokun to computer generated 3D animations such as Victor Dollabaille's Dream Vs Reality.

 

Ngendo Mukii's Yellow Fever (2012)

The artist and animator Ngendo Mukii from Kenya, has recently completed her graduate film for the prestigious RCA, London. Her film is a personal narrative on questions of identity and skin colour and in particular African feminine voices on self-image.  It is an exciting contribution to Kenyan animation and resonates with the concerns of other filmmakers/ animators from the continent.

 
Yellow Fever: TRAILER from Ng'endo Mukii on Vimeo.

SinAnimation... Ivorian Coast Animation

Officially launched in 2007, known for its animated series "C KEMA?" (2010) and FOOT'IVOIRE (2008) an animated series with an awarding winning episode at the International Film Festival in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire. The animation company Sinanimation is another great find! 

You can read all about the company on this article by culturiche.com