What does the future hold for African animation? The answer to that question is one that creators on the continent are moulding with their own hands and have been for the last decade, albeit mostly in obscurity.

With increased social media use and a bigger global lens on Africa, that obscurity is fast eroding and paving way for a future that is more exciting and economically sustainable. A future in which the question will no longer be, “was that made in Africa?” But instead, “what next?”

Annecy’s Animation du Monde pitching competition is one cog in the giant wheel that’s shaping that future. This year, the festival announced Africa as the spotlight territory for animation. The future of animation in Africa hasn’t been any brighter than it is now. 

In Annecy’s aim to spotlight territories with a limited capacity for the production of animation projects, the Animation du Monde Pitches was created in 2015. Thanks to it, writers, animators, producers or filmmakers are able to submit shorts, features, TV series or transmedia animation projects to the festival for a chance to acquire funding, co-production deals or collaborations with heavy hitters in the global animation space. 

Annecy’s Pan-African Animation du Monde pitching competition was launched in 2017 by the African Animation Network in partnership with the MIFA. Two years down the line, the initiative has received over 60 projects vying for the rights to travel to Annecy International Animation Festival to showcase and pitch their projects, network with industry giants and foster collaborations. 

Through the African Animation Network’s partners, the pitches have held at Lagos Comic-Con, Abidjan and Johanessburg DISCOP Content Markets, and the Nairobi Comic-Con. This year, as the pitches grown, a new platform, the Accra Animation Film Festival was added to the roster.

The sub-Saharan preliminaries of this year’s pitch competition are almost over, with Lagos Comic-Con, happening from September 19 – 21 being the last event before all 15 projects compete for the finals at DISCOP Joburg in November. 

It’s been quite a journey so far this year for the pitches. Now is a good time to reflect on the projects and the creators that made it through to the finals of the preliminaries so far while we wait for the finalists from Lagos to be announced. 

These are the top finalists from all the regional preliminaries of MIFA Animation du Monde so far. 

Pan-African Animation du Monde 2019 Winners

ICON CGC | April 20 – 22, 2019

• Pixel’s Plan by Cate Wood Hunter (South Africa);
• Into the Odd by Moshood Shades Ridwan (Nigeria); and 
• Flying Low by Sean Steinberg & Sean Braam (South Africa).

DISCOP Abidjan | May 29 – 31, 2019

• The Oil of Amadi by Matthew Brown (South Africa) and Harrison Yinfaowei (Nigeria);
• Tchamba by Doh D Daiga (Burkina Faso); and
• Orisha Pikin by Archange Kiyindou (Republic of the Congo).

Accra Animation Film Festival (AAFFia) | July 27 – August 2, 2019

• Message Beats by Natasha Nayo & Lizz Johnsoon (Ghana);
• Jujucups by Selorm Dogoe (Ghana); and
• Meet the Igwes by Chewube Okonkwo (Nigeria).

Nairobi Comic-Con (NAICCON) | August 24 – 25, 2019

• Agent 254 by Lydia Mugure (Kenya);
• Rosa’s Diary by Ndanusa Danjuma Judah (Nigeria); and
• The Fam by Kabelo Maaka (South Africa).

Lagos Comic-Con Winners | September 19 – 22

• SCUM (Special Covert Unit Mission) 2 by Daniel Coker (Ghana);
• Moramora by Sitraka RANDRIAMAHALY (Madagascar); and
• Kweeto the Genius Mosquito by Brian O. Wilson (Nigeria).

Past winners of the regional finals include:  

MIFA Pitches Finalist 2015 & Winner 2018

• Junk Pilots by Isaac Mogojane

Animation du Monde 2017

• The Tree of Palimpsest by Ingrid Tagbo (Togo)
• Mumue by Wendy Spinks & Clea Mallinson (South Africa)

Animation du Monde 2018

• The Trouble Makers by Nildo Essa (Mozambique) 
• Makerbolts by Dami Solesi (Nigeria) 

Animation du Monde 2018 Continental Finalists

• Koka Kitoumbou represented by Shikartoon (Congo Braza)
• Étincelle represented by Ouassila Kharoune (Burkina Faso)
• As aventuras dos Pestinhas (The Brats) represented by Nildo Essa (Mozambique)
• Da Bes Band represented by Mike Scott (South Africa)
• My Friendly Tokoloshe represented by Khanye Mfeka (South Africa)
• Hiraeth represented by Kayla Archer (South Africa)
• Nini represented by Shadrack Munene (Kenya)
• The Next Rainbow represented by Salim Busuru (Kenya)
• Garbage Boy and Trash Can represented by Ridwan Moshood (Nigeria)
• The Makerbolts represented by Dami Solesi (Nigeria)