Animation du Monde 2020 prelim ends at LCC


By Content Nigeria reporter
August 30, 2019

News

The pan-African Animation du Monde 2020 preliminary round will wrap at the Lagos Comic Convention (LCC) from September 19 to 21, having held its fourth preliminaries at Nairobi Comic Con last weekend.

The continental finals will take place at Discop Johannesburg in November as soon as the LCC preliminary is concluded. The three finalists that emerged from each of the five regional preliminaries will compete in the hope of being selected as one of two winners that will represent the continent and compete at the Annecy/MIFA in 2020.

For a chance to participate at the LCC convention, click here. Registration ends on September 5.

The announcement by Annecy/MIFA that the focus for 2020 will be Africa is an opportunity for creators from the continent to showcase their content to the world and Nigeria – being the largest comic book market in Africa – has equally produced some of the best talent West Africa has to offer.

Dami Solesi, CEO and creative director of Lagos-based Smids Animation Studios, was one of the continental winners of the competition at the maiden preliminary round of Animation du Monde that held at LCC 2018.

Having pitched her idea at Annecy/MIFA 2019, she had so much to say about her experience. “Going through the Annecy/MIFA pitches has opened my eyes to a new world of content production and how I can bring my ideas to life.

“From the onset at the LCC, my project was constantly being refined at each stage. At Discop Johannesburg, I was meeting with each of the experts and appreciated the contribution that each expert made towards the project. They even provided opportunities beyond the competition and I’m still in communication with many of them as regards updates on my project,” she said.

“I believe every single creative who has an idea should apply for this because going through the process, whether you win or not, your project would be refined. And those lessons are invaluable to any creative as of right now,” she said.

Mbuotidem Johnson, owner of Basement Studios and also a participant at Annecy/MIFA 2018, said: “Whenever I am asked to talk about my experience at Annecy, I say it is Disneyland for filmmakers. I had dreamed of going to Annecy for as long as I can remember, and I am glad this dream became a reality in 2018. My whole perspective of the animation industry changed.”

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 is arguably the biggest animation-focused pitching forum in the world, taking place against the backdrop of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Market/MIFA.