SHUJAAZ.FM rocks and wins the International Digital Emmy Award!

What is Shujaaz? Well Told Story describe it like this.....


At its heart Shujaaz.FM is a story about four young Kenyans growing up and meeting life’s many challenges. 

600,000 copies of the 32-page colour comic-book Shujaaz.FM are distributed nationally each month, reaching at least 3,000,000 readers.


Shujaaz mostly known of in Kenya for its monthly comic books with an young and funky edge

but featured also for its animated content and short online episodes... 




....and have just won the International Digital Emmy Award  in the Digital Program: Children & Young People category, cited as having beaten some of the giants of international media. 

WELL DONE to all those involved.... and mostly the producers and distributors Well Told Story!! 

Subscribe to SHUJAAZ TV here

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.

 

Plugged Digital Expo in Kenya

Kenya's  PLUGGED DIGITAL EXPO will be showcasing digital technologies and related industries for the East African region.
It runs on the 13th - 14th July in the Sarit Centre, Nairobi 


It will include exhibitors in zones 

• Mobile Zone - mobile phones, tablets, accessories, portable devices
• Digi Zone - touch screens, Computers, Laptops, displays, print solutions, routers, automated office solutions, communication technology.
• Mobile apps Pit - mobile apps, mobile business solutions, payment solutions and mobile games.
• Apps Bar - sample shots of information on must-have apps for mobile devices. 
• Simulator Zone – flight simulators, Visual Effects, Driving simulators
• Studio Grid - media, broadcast, 3D, HD, Programming, Cable, Triple play, satellite, streaming, set top boxes, content creators and digital distribution technology.
• Innovator's Pavilion – meet Kenya's innovators who will shape and determine Kenya's future in the digital and technology space.
• Cloud 9 - Dedicated to cloud based solutions, tools and tutorials for businesses

The conference also includes a focus on digital content distribution for television, film and animation - which should be of particular interest to practising animators/ producers in this field.

For more info go to:
http://www.pluggedexpo.com/

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

International Trickfilm Festival, Stuttgart: African Animation Program

The Animation Film Festival being hosted in Stuttgart this year is featuring a timely African animation program with a focus on the Arab Revolution or Arab Spring. The program is being curated by the Egyptian animator Mohammed Ghazala. The details of the program are limited to a description of the spirit of the event with a emphasis on the aesthetic of 'revolution and challenge'.  This contribution is surely to be an exciting addition to the Trikfilm Festival. Well done Mohammed Ghazala!

"The programme shows bold portraits as well as wry cartoons on the Islamist resurgence at the polls. Photographs, graffiti, paintings, videos and sculpture explore the issues spotlighted with the ouster of dictator Zine al Abidine Ben Ali: freedom of speech and religion, women’s rights, the online world, democracy building."

Click here for TRIKFILM Festival

BuniTV hits the web

Described as....

Buni TV is a web and mobile video channel that allows viewers to discover the best and most innovative content off the beaten path of mainstream entertainment.

What's even better is BuniTv shares it's advertising revenue with the content owners.

BuniTV offers a great collection of music videos, short films and animations. Featured in BuniTV's archive you can find Kwame Nyongo's Legend of Ngong Hills, and Just a Band's music videos Huff and Puff, WAGEUZI Battle 2012, and The XYZ Show Season 5's First Episode and many other creative shorts.


With Africa in Motion as an official sponsor, this site is sure to be a hive of creative activity!

Check out Africa in Motion TV also for more videos: AFRICA IN MOTION TV

Bino&Fino Easter Update

For those who have been following the Bino&Fino Success story, here is Adamu Wasiri giving everyone an update of the latest news...

ethiopiananimation.com

Courtesy of the Bino&Fino crew who linked to this animation, another great find from Ethiopia.

on animation in Zimbabwe

Whilst its not often that we get any news of the animation scene in Zimbabwe, there has been much activity including the Joint Afrikan Animation Group JAAG running various events including the Zimbabwe Festival of African Inspired Animation, ZIMFAIA. You can read all about this event and some budding artists work on the Global Press Article. 
JAAG's 2010 conference was the first official meeting of Zimbabwean animators and VFX practitioners and there is an online document of the proceedings that can be found here.

The Black Heart Gang talk about their work

Courtesy of DesignIndaba here is great little clip with the BlackHeartGang from South Africa, talking about their work, this includes also their own animation "The Tale of How".

Bino and Fino air on Sky TV in the UK

WAGEUZI: Battle 2012 Animated Short

Andrew Kaggia's animated short WAGEUZI will be released on the 2nd December. The short pre-release trailer looks like a kenyan-style cross between political sci-fi and the transformers...



A more recent and updated preview can be viewed at Andrew Kaggia's facebook page.

HomeBoyz Animation Showreel

Following their work on the TingaTinga Tales series, Homeboyz Animation Studio in Nairobi have released their most recent showreel of animated work... With some diverse styles and techniques its an exciting flavour of the Kenyan talent....

SHUJAAZ TV from Kenya

Another great animation from Kenya, as the first 'official' Shujaaz TV broadcast goes on YOUTUBE- put together by Just A Band's (and Shujaaz artist) Daniel Muli, Muchiri Njenga, Zoe Muthoga, Movin Were.

Mike Scott creates another hit for Goldfish...

AfriPOP reviews 7 African animators work....

Well done to the animators who have been reviewed on AfriPOP's website. The article gives a short bio of each artist and links to their work. Read all about Kwame Noyongo, Adamu Wasiri, Mohammed Ghazala, Ree Treweek, Gatumia, Phil Cunnigham, Anthony Sliverstone at AfriPOP.

Animation in Mali...

Described as an animated series of 20 episodes on the hisotry of Mali directed by Ismael Diallo and produced by InMedia, this body of work is another welcome addition to African animation. To read all about the production in more detail click on the article at Journal du Mali.

Inmedia is a corporation originally created in 1999 to address the gap in Multimedia in Mali.Since then great strides were made ​​in the area and many businesses and individuals with real expertise appeared. So after many changes Inmedia became an International Group with several partners and a network of international partners.Today it acts also as a marketing consultancy agent, specializing in developing communication tools, Radio, TV, web, animation and graphic design.

The Legend of Ngong Hills

Another great addition to the body of Kenyan animations, the animator Kwame Nyongo completes his charming animated short, The Legend of Ngong Hills.

"Based upon a Maasai folktale, 'The Legend of Ngong Hills' is the creation myth of these beautiful hills that backdrop present day Nairobi. Available in leading retail outlets across Kenya. See trailer on YouTUBE.
March 2011"

You can link to his website to read more about his other animations and work by clicking here
 Kwame Nyongo

Another animated film from Ezra Wube: Hisab

This beautiful painterly animation, based on Ethiopian folklore is another addition to the body of work by Ezra Wube. Here is a short excerpt - to watch the full 6 minute film go to IMDB or CLICK HERE