African Animation on Fire!

 

When animation directors such as the likes of Ngendo Mukii (Kenya) and Kenneth Coker (Nigeria) are part of an Afro-futurist animation series, one can be sure that this project is going to be ground breaking. 
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire - the animated sci-fi anthology series was first aired on Disney+ in December 2023 going on to win a host of awards; Best Animated Series at the KIDSCREEN AWARDS, won the prestigious Annie Award. The winning series episode “Enkai” was directed by Kenyan Ng'endo Mukii and produced by Blink Industries.

The episodes on Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire anthology are:

• Stardust: Directed by Ahmed Teilab – Egypt

• Mkhuzi: The Spirit Racer: Directed by Simangaliso ‘Panda’ Sibaya and Malcom Wope – South Africa

• Hatima: Directed by Terence Maluleke and Isaac Mogajane – South Africa

• Enkai: Directed by Ng’endo Mukii – Kenya

• Moremi: Directed by Shofela Coker – Nigeria

• Surf Sangoma: Directed by Nthato Mokgata and Catherine Green – South Africa

• Mukudzei: Directed by Pious Nyenyewa & Tafadzwa Hove – Zimbabwe

• First Totem Problems: Directed by Tshepo Moche – South Africa

• Herderboy: Directed by Raymond Malinga – Uganda

• You Give Me Heart: Directed by Lesego Vorster – South Africa.

Kugali and Disney - Iwaju

Kugali media have been creating visual content as comics and animation for some time. I first came across them through one of the founders Tolu Olowofoyeku a comic book and animation enthusiast and strong proponent for African content whom I met at West African Game Expo. Many years later we met again at Lagos ComiCon, where Kugali was selling its different comic book publications with successful kickstarter projects promoting pan-African comic artists. It therefore came as no surprise to hear that they recently secured a collaboration with Disney to develop an animated series Iwaju. The 'long-format' science-fiction series is based in a futuristic Lagos. 

You can read more about the project at the BBC and HollywooodReporter 

Animation Instagrammers from Nigeria

Comics and animation from Nigeria are finding a home in Instagram as artists share their animations and artwork on the platform. To name a few great examples to keep an eye out for

Stopmotion animator Yetunde Ogundipe aka Snowgoosegirl

View this post on Instagram

Sending you 💕 and positive energy. Love, a gift that we all have the ability to give one another...and what we need right now to heal the ills plaguing the world. As we grieve the loss of our typical routines, make a sense of this emotionally exhausting times and navigate the uncertainty of the future, it is easy to slip into that melancholy mood. But we have to speak love and hope into this moment. #SafeHands #SpreadLove #Coronavirus #Covid19 #ArtInCovid19 #stopmotionanimation #stopmotionanimator #nigeriananimation #claymation #staysafe #lockdown2020 #animationnigeria #stopmotionnigeria #stopmotion

A post shared by Yetunde Ogundipe (@snowgoosegirl) on Jun 2, 2020 at 12:35am PDT

Kanso Ogbulo aka thesmilinghat with his FreaktheFxxxOut series and some Vfx work

 

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I'm ready to go out and face Lagos State 💪🏾 💪🏾 💪🏾 💪🏾 🔥 🔥 . . . . . . #thesmilinghat #lagos #covid19 #lockdown #coronavirus

A post shared by Kãn:só (@thesmilinghat) on May 6, 2020 at 12:37am PDT

TagComics and their recently released Osun Trailer

 

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THIS IS EPIC! WATCH THIS SHORT TEASER OF “OSUN” by the amazing @michaelrhima Here’s a synopsis of the upcoming short movie: A man decides to journey to his birth home where he reflects on his childhood and relationship with his late mother. His journey becomes more of a spiritual one after an event sends him into a trance where he encounters a goddess. Go Follow @osun_film for more updates! #orisha #oshun #osun #santeria #candombre

A post shared by TAG Comics (@tag.comics) on Sep 7, 2020 at 9:49pm PDT

Naija Fantasy and Sci-Fi

Not all animation is drawn or 'cartoon-like' and for this reason it is worth pausing and looking at the strides that young creatives are making using digital technologies that adopt and share techniques with conventional 'animation' and that cross into other genres.

Recently I have been working on an article about fantasy films across the continent, and came across these young creatives in Kaduna, Nigeria - The Critics. Their short films are always action packed and fun to watch, my favourite a re-telling of StarWars.

Tutu Teaser

The Tutu trailer has just been released on Youtube. The 2D/3D aesthetic combined with a visually rich opening sequence makes for a promising series. The animated chase sequence is beautifully animated with a good mix of action and suspense. Here's hoping that this project goes forward....

Tutu: The Untold Story of a Kingdom

If you are around in Ghana on Friday the 20th December then it may be worth looking out for the screening of Tutu: The Untold Story of a Kingdom, pitched as an animated series, this story tells of

Osei Tutu and the rise of the 17th century Ashanti Kingdom located in what is now modern day Ghana, West Africa. Our main characters Osei Tutu and Okomfo Anokye embark on a journey to unite divided Akan clans.

The animation looks promising as its development was informed by research into local narratives and cultures. With magical characters like Okomfo Onokye and strong female characters like Abena Bensua, sister of the King, this so-called traditional tale has contemporary resonances. AnimaxFYB is the studio based in Ghana that will be developing this project with director Francis Yushau Brown, this animation looks is planned to be an animated series of 13 minutes with 24 minute running time over 3 seasons.
Tutu Concept Event Screening: Date: Friday December 20th, 2019 Where: Alliance Française (Accra, Ghana) Time: 7pm Cost: 20GHC

AAFFIA - ACCRA Animation Festival Announces its Winners

The AAFFIA animation festival has announced its first festival winners from 21 entries and 13 finalists - congratulations to Natasha Nayo & Lizz Johnson, Chekwube Okonkwo and Selorm Dogoe.

Between 27th July and the 2nd August, the festival ran a number of different events and panels

AUG2

Crossing International Borders Fri 15:00 UTC · 47 guests

Basecamp Initiative Accra, Ghana

AUG1

Comic Production - Leti Arts Masterclass Thu 15:00 UTC · 45 guests

Basecamp Initiative Accra, Ghana

JUL31

Women in African Animation Wed 17:00 UTC · 57 guests

Basecamp Initiative Accra, Ghana

JUL31

Foundation in Storytelling Masterclass Wed 15:00 UTC · 30 guests

Basecamp Initiative Accra, Ghana

JUL30

Accra Animation Film Festival - Acting for Animation Masterclass Tue 15:00 UTC · 120 guests

Basecamp Initiative Accra, Ghana

JUL28

Enter the Vortex Sun 15:00 UTC · 39 guests

Basecamp Initiative Accra, Ghana

JUL27

Animation in Music Videos Sat 16:00 UTC · 162 guests

Basecamp Initiative Accra, Ghana

JUL27

Panels & Chat Bubbles Sat 15:00 UTC · 16 guests

Basecamp Initiative Accra, Ghana

JUL27

Accra Animation Film Festival 27 Jul–2 Aug · 72 guests

Basecamp Initiative Accra, Ghana

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. 

Afrofuturism and Feminism

As a keen follower of The Nest Collective and Jepchumba and her website AfricanDigitalArts, this video is worth a watch from the BOZAR: Connects Africa events.

SquidMag.Ink a great online resource for animation, comics and games from Africa

SquidMag is a website that offers a great selection of news on animation, games and comics from the continent. In their own words they aim to be....

the go-to resource to find the best works of art across comics, video games and animation and to start conversations about the geekdom we love so much.

Squid Mag was started by Kofi Sydney Asare and KaDi Yao Tay in 2015. The Squid Mag team comprises Cassandra Mark, Kevin Sampong, Kiyindou Yamakasi, Dela Attikesse, Fafa and Elom MacAuley and Elizabeth Temitayo Johnson.

We are on a mission to alter the African narrative through channels atypically associated with Africa.

Definitely worth a visit.

Ghanian animator Bertil Toby Svanekiaer

Ghanian animator Bertil is making some waves producing short animations and music videos...
As reviewed on SquidMag his animation Chaskele

Chaskele, the animation, however, was more. It was a movement, a call to arms for the nerds who loved the game, for nostalgic old souls and people who loved “cartoons” and animation even more. Chaskele, the film, was a welcome re-imagination of an otherwise straightforward game that added subtle complexities such as some awesome Adinkra symbologies within a very modern context.

 Read more about his work on MESH

FESPACO's 50th Edition and the first ever Rencontres Africanes du Film d'Animation

This year's FESPACO saw the addition of a 5-day animation workshop program that included mentoring, training and pitching as its themes. Amongst the attendees was Mohamed Ghazala, the Egyptian animation and new vice-president of ASIFA, Cilia Sawadogo, the Burkinabe animator based at Concordia, the Senegalese filmmaker Moussa Moise Toure who established the first animation school in Dakar, and enthusiastic animators from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Tunisia and Madagascar.

The winning prize was awarded to Comfort Arthur from Ghana, known for her animation 'Black Barbie' (2016).

BBC Story on Nigerian Animation

A story on the growing animation sector in Nigeria.

AIM Edinburgh Animation Program 2018

Africa in Motion film festival in Edinburgh has grown to become a key event in the calendar for African film and animation enthusiasts. This year their animation program Afri-Adventure includes a line up of short animations from across the continent. For those in Edinburgh on Sat 3rd November (1pm) and Glasgow (2pm) make your way to watch some animated fun!

Films include: 

• A Kalabanda Ate My Homework (2017) by Raymond Malinga from Uganda
• Bellyflop by Jeremy Collins & Kelly Dillon from South African
• Bino and Fino: On To Timbuktu by Adamu Wasiri from Nigeria 
• Crush (2017) by Stephen Iosun from Nigeria 
• Tales of Shaa (2017) by Rodney Masanga from Zimbabwe
• The Tree of Palimpsest (2018) by Ingrid Agbo from Togo 

Experimental Animation Workshop in Nairobi

Upcoming Event: As part of the AHRC funded E-Voices Network, PAWA245 in Nairobi will be hosting an experimental Animation Workshop with award-winning Ng'endo Mukii with a focus on voices from marginalised communities.

The AHRC Network e-Voices: Redressing Marginality brings together a global network of academics and practitioners to explore the theme of marginalisation, and how digital media can be used by marginalised groups to make their voices heard, within and beyond the borders of their communities promoting social inclusion. In particular, the network is going to explore three case studies: how favela residents in Brazil are using digital media to foster community engagement and active citizenship; how Kenyan artists are using digital tools to promote a dialogue around human rights and power structures; and how development organisations working with displaced populations in Syria are using digital technologies to foster peace and reconciliation in the country.

As part of the project, award winning Kenyan animator, Ng'endo Mukii will be running a four-day workshop to create an animated Portrait of the recently killed Brazilian activist, Marielle Franco. The workshop will invite artists to engage with collections of visual material from Brazil to reflect upon marginalised voices. The artists will utilise a range of techniques and materials that include digital and non-digital modes of experimental animation.

Here is an example of an experimental animation created with Ng'endo Mukii and the Olands Folkhogskola in Sweden.

Ahwak Runaway from Ng'endo Mukii on Vimeo.

To find out more and apply for the workshop please go to:

E-VOICES Animation Workshop