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

Salim Busuru... Comic artist, illusrator, animator

Watch Salim Busuru illustrator from Kenya talk about the beginning of Avandu Studio and his motivation to tell African stories as he engages with aesthetic and notions of authenticity. A great interview on Vimeo from the project AfriDesignX. AfriDesignX is a V&A and UaL project that set out to investigate ' new design typologies and visual strategies from African megacities'.

Interview with Salim Busuru of Avandu Studios from AfridesignX on Vimeo.

Indigenious Media Seminar

Indigenous Media, Self-Determination and Cultural Activism

Date: 21 June 2018Time: 5:00 PM

Finishes: 21 June 2018Time: 7:00 PM

Venue: Brunei Gallery Room: B202

Type of Event: Seminar

Digital Lab Africa: Animation, Games, VR and more.

This year's Digital Lab Africa winners have been announced following online votes for a series of pitches ranging from games to animation from a variety of different African countries this initiative is definitely something to look out for.

As described on the Digital Lab Africa website...

Digital Lab Africa: the reference platform for next-gen content 

Digital Lab Africa (DLA) is the 1st platform dedicated to creative content (web creation, virtual reality, video game, animation, digital music) linked with innovation in Africa (francophone & anglophone). The very idea of DLA is to incubate emerging creative talent by offering them a springboard to jump-start and accelerate their projects with the support and expertise of DLA partners & ecosystem (studios, event, producers, broadcasters, distributors, experts…) 

The winners from the pitch competition were announced today


• ANIMATION
Dimbit by Feben Elias (ETHIOPIA) See pitch below: 




Nwavu, the Blind Man by João Graça (MOZAMBIQUE)
 
• DIGITAL MUSIC
Request Africa by Ali Dennis (KENYA)
Mbira Online by Tafadzwa Sharaunga (ZIMBABWE)

• VIDEO GAME
Shadow Tongue by Alex Robert Ynclan & Thuso Terence Sibisi (SOUTH AFRICA)
Project Lumpa by Mwaaba Alec Mugala (ZAMBIA)
 
• VIRTUAL REALITY
Last Night A Haircut Saved My Life by Roxanne Dalton (SOUTH AFRICA)
II Worlds by Naomi van Niekerk  & Arnaud van Vliet (SOUTH AFRICA)

• WEB CREATION
Future Lab Africa by Jepchumba (KENYA)


Watch Jepchumba from AfricanDigitalArt pitch below: 

Animation in Ghana: CartoonBrew Reviews

CartoonBrew's article on animation in Ghana is a rare glimpse at animation from the continent. Highlighting the studio Parables Animation Studios, the article introduces Ghanian artists, Cycil Jones Abban and Francis Yushau Brown from AnimaxFYB Studios, and asks them about their ambitions for animation in Ghana.

You can read the full article here: CARTOONBREW

on FICAM animation and even documentary...

A great blog post by Stefanie Van de Peer on FICAM and animation in Morocco, which includes a outline of some the animated films screened at FICAM including Minga and the Broken Spoon, by Claye Edou;  1917 – La vérité sur octobre// 1917 – The Real October; Nelly & Simon: Mission Yeti by Nancy Florence Savard and Pierre Greco. Read all about these films and more at
Moroccan Cinema

Liyana wins the Documentary Award at the LA Festival 2017

Great to see Nigerian animator Shof Coker receiving the award for documentary Liyana (which he animated for), directed by Aaron and Amanda Copp. Well done everyone!

Sitraka Randriamahaly... Malagasy animator

Sitraka Randriamahlay has shown work at various international animation festivals. You can view his animations on his Vimeo channel here. The animation below is Hazalambo(2013)

hazalambo(lambo hunt) from sitraka randriamahaly on Vimeo.

And Rough Life (2015) that was shown at the Rencontres du Film Court de Madagascar For more information about the Malagasy cinema and the culture of filmmaking see the Artists on Africa interview with Laza the festival director.

AOA Season 1 | Episode 6 | Laza on "The Cinema of Generation RFC" from Artists on Africa on Vimeo.

Bino and Fino post on African Animation

For a great collection of different African animations have a look at Bino&Fino's blog post here.

AFRICA IN MOTION 2017 - Animation Galore

Another great contribution from the Africa in Motion team this year, with special screenings for animation from the continent, showing in Glasgow and Edinburgh. You can read all about this years selection of films and animations and an exhibition, African Film: Looking Back Through the Lens, which is definitely worth a visit!

Advertised as follows on the AIM website for Thursday the 2nd November at 6.30 at Woodland Creatures, 260-262, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5EL

AfriCA Animated 

This evening will bring you a selection of African animations from Egypt, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Martinique, Nigeria and South Africa. Animation has the extraordinary power to bring to life oral storytelling. The films cover a spectrum of stories, including hilarious propaganda, heroines of the past, mythical creatures, political and emotional issues such as LGBT identity, colourism, domestic abuse, and an annoying mosquito that just won’t buzz off. Each film showcases different styles and techniques such as stop-motion, 3D and hand-drawn animation. Some rarely-seen gems from as early as 1940 are also included in the context of our Africa’s Lost Classics project, to show that animation has a beautiful and long history on the African continent.

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INCLUDED FILMS

• Because I Am
• Black Barbie
• Got Flowers Today
• Husse Met Lang Ore
• La Femme Mariée À Trois Hommes (The Woman Married To Three Men)
• La Princesse Yennega (Princess Yennega)
• Mosquito: The Bite of Passage
• National Defence
• Uilhuisie (Owl House)

More African animation on the Blogosphere...SQUIDMAG

Another great little find, SQUIDMAG is a blog on African animation, comics and games. With some great posts about events happening on the continent - such as screenings for Afro/Animation in Accra, Ghana, or Comics at the Literary Festival in Accra. 

ANIMATE AFRICA: StoryLab Webinar 4th November

On the 4th November the Animate Africa will be running a StoryLab webinar 'How to Bring a TV Series to Market' in collaboration with Triggerfish (South Africa) and a host of speakers including: 


Malenga Mulendema, Creator of Mama K's Super 4

Wanuru Kahiu, Kenyan award winning Writer and Filmmaker (Pumzi)
Babalwa Baartman, Co-founder/Producer at Sanusi Chronicles
Thulani Simantov, Animator and Co-founder/Art Director of Sanusi Chronicles
Kelly Dillon, Animator and Co-creator, Ninja Princess

The event is promoted on ANIMATE AFRICA as follows, 

If you have ever thought about bringing your own characters to life as an animated TV series, you should attend this webinar to be streamed on YouTube Live on Saturday, 4 November to registered delegates. You'll learn insights that Triggerfish gained over the last 2 years while developing TV series with Disney’s support, resulting in 2 worldwide distribution deals to date....

Your idea could be the next African TV series to be produced and distributed internationally. You’ll get insights into what international distributors are looking for when they review projects.  You’ll also learn directly from creators who have just been through this process and have signed distribution deals for their shows.  And you'll get a chance to ask questions via Facebook & Twitter.  

You can sign up for the Webinar at ANIMATE AFRICA

FupiToons African Animation Festival

If you happen to be in Joburg, South Africa check out the 

FUPITOONS Festival  supported by Africa Animation Network, and the Gauteng Film Commission the festival will run in Johannesburg between the 26th - 29th October. The selection of animations screening are from all over the continent and aimed at children. See the final list they announced below:

FupiToons Final Selection:Gyrow (Nigeria)
Machismo - The Substance (Kenya)
Is that believable? (Egypt)
Please Frog, just one sip (South Africa)
Snow (South Africa)
Way Better (South Africa)
Jabu's Jungle - Warthog (South Africa)
Becca & Bongani EP2 (South Africa)
The Parlotones - Stay A While, (South Africa)
Orisha's Journey (Ghana)
Crocodile River (South Africa)
Crumbs (South Africa)
Doodle Duo (Imagination Studios)
Llama Drama (Imagination Studios)
Smarter Phones (Imagination Studios)
The Great Escape (Imagination Studios)
Hatch (South Africa)
Monday Man EP1 - Seat Belted (South Africa)
Monday Man EP2 - Tapped out! (South Africa)
TheWoods - MaJozi Music Video (South Africa)
Bun & Bunee - A collection of 60 second shorts (South Africa )

All About African Animation... a blog

It was great to come across this blog on African animation reviewing the Lola and Chuchu animation made by AnthillStudios from Lagos, Nigeria. The blog has a good number of entries on different animation from the continent and is another contribution to the much needed voice of African animation.

ALLABOUTANIMATIONAFRICA