Call for animation content for FupiToons Festival

© Fernando Gregory Milan via 123RF

Fupi is a Swahili descriptor, meaning “short” and the FupiToons Festival will run parallel to DISCOP Johannesburg 2017 in October.

Lola Gallant, head of alternative content, Ster-Kinekor Theatres, expressed excitement about the partnership. “Cinema Nouveau is constantly looking for new and exciting alternative content for our viewers.  We’re hoping that this is the start of a prosperous partnership, a celebration of African animation excellence, and a festival which can be expanded across our footprint in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Through the African Animation Network events and content channels, the social enterprise provides an open network platform for animation professionals and national associations from across the African continent to communicate ideas, forge connections, foster collaboration, build pipelines, generate capacity and in so doing propel the African animation industry forward.

The FupiToons Festival will take place 26-29 October at Cinema Nouveau Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa. AAN has recruited a new team to manage the festival and calls for content.

Said Nick Wilson, AAN project manager: “Our mandate at AAN is to promote excellence in African animation, not only in terms of the content we screen at FupiToons Festival, but also the talent that we recruit to our team.  Thus, we are incredibly proud to be able to announce that Comfort Arthur, Clea Mallinson and Wendy Spinks will be joining our content and festival team.”

Call for content

FupiToons Festival is looking for the best African animated content aimed at audiences two to 12 years to be part of a two hour screening.  Closing date for submissions is 2 October 2017.

Wendy Spinks, AAN head of content and festival director, added: "FupiToons Festival is an African first. Owing to financial constraints, the majority of animation in Africa is short form. This format of animation has never had a platform to engage audience in Africa and that makesFupiToons Festival both relevant and necessary. This is something I proudly stand behind!"