The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (MIFA) will celebrate African animation at this year’s event, which takes place in France from June 14 to 19.
The hybrid event, which will be both online and onsite, has many African films in the official selection. They include Kenyan short The Wonderful Story of Aisha and Ali & Flipflopi the Multicoloured Dhow Boat, which is directed by Kwame Nyong’o and produced by Nairobi’s Apes in Space Animation.
Other titles include Twende Smoothie Operator (52×11’) from South Africa and Kenya, about a pangolin living on the African savannahs, and short film Cause of Death from South African production house Süd Nord Film and distributor Sixpack Films.
The best of Fupitoons Festival, launched by the African Animation Network, will highlight about 20 films from eight countries, while African animation artist William Kentridge will be celebrated through nine of his short films.
Nigerian animator Adebisi Adetayo’s feature film Lady Buckit & the Motley Mopsters will also be showcased, and Nigerian cartoon studio Basement Animation’s project Joko & Dide has been selected for MIFA Nigerian focus at the event.
Also selected as top finalists from Nigeria include Egbelughe Philip, Stanlee Ohikhuare, Oyikan Odunlami, Temidayo Odunlami, Brian Wilson, Eseme Joseph, Oluwayomi Oluwasegun Samson and Omotunde Akiode. They will also pitch their works as part of the Nigerian focus in front of an audience of international professionals.
There will also be pitch presentations of 21 African projects from countries across the continent, including Madagascar, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, Egypt and a comic book project for adaptation.
In addition, there will be a conference on Understanding African Animation: Collaboration at the Core of Today & Tomorrow’s Strategies, focusing on training and technology, production and distribution and opportunities to meet with publishers, broadcasters and distributors from the continent.
MIFA is held every year in the town of Annecy in the French Alps and is attended by more than 13,000 industry professionals from around the world.
tagged in: African Animation Network, Ali & Flipflopi the Multicoloured Dhow Boat, Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Cause of Death, FupiToons Festival, MIFA, Sixpack Films, Süd Nord Film, The Wonderful Story of Aisha, Twende Smoothie Operator