ANIMATED, SA-STYLE
THE term “animation” used to conjure up films with goofy Disney characters.
Now animation is popping up in a multiplicity of spaces and industries – in advertising, architecture, phone apps, websites, billboards and in the rapidly developing fields of virtual reality, augmented reality and visual effects.
Get up to speed at The Cape Town International Animation Festival from today until Sunday at the River Club in Observatory.
Hosted by Animation SA, this is the seventh festival. It is geared to putting the spotlight on the burgeoning African animation industry.
It is a market place for networking for industry and showcasing innovations on the continent and elsewhere. This takes the form of talks and workshops which require an entrance fee.
Dovetailing with the ticketed programme, there are numerous attractions open to all at no charge. The film programme features local and international films by award-winning animators.
The other biggie is The Artists Alley – which gives festival-goers an opportunity to interact with artists and watch them in action in live drawing sessions.
Festival director Dianne Makings answers questions on how to navigate this mammoth event.
Many events are free. Is a ticket necessary?
Should you want to participate in the networking and most of the talks a ticket is necessary.
For casual observers or people who want to get a taste of the festival before committing to a ticket, we have a number of free events, marked by an astrix on the programme.
Where can one find the Artist’s Alley and film screenings in relation to the conference part of the festival?
The alley is on the ground floor of the River Club, towards the conferencing side. The films are shown at various rooms on the first floor and clubhouse at The River Club on a first come, first served basis. We have volunteers at all the doors who will help you find the right venue.
We tend to look to the US and Europe, but much innovation is happening on our continent. What’s hot from Africa – and SA – that we can see?
There’s so much on offer from the animation studios in South Africa. For instance, Inside Job is a new feature film from South Africa’s Luma Animation which will be released soon and several TV series are going into production this year, including Anansi by Diprente and Scott. Munki Trunk by Sunrise productions already has a huge following and can now be seen on Nicktoons locally. Hot picks for children? We have secured the African premieres of Mary and the Witch’s Flower and The Highway Rat. Mary, about a young witch, is by a Japanese studio dubbed into English and is more suitable for slightly older children and families. The Highway Rat was inspired by the much-loved children’s book by Julia Donaldson. It was animated in Cape Town by Academy Award-nominated studio Triggerfish Animation Studios. We’re thrilled to share this film with audiences in Khayelitsha and Cape Town. Cutting-edge animation threads to look out for at the festival? The manga drawing (Japanese comic art) and stop Moosebox by Mike motion workshops at the Clubhouse Area, talks by Rob Valley, who’s worked on incredible films and TV shows including Disney’s Tron and his 2017 Academy Award-nominated short film Pear Cider and Cigarettes.
Watch out for Joe Burrascano of Aardman Nathan Love – a whacky stop-motion animation studio in New York. Locally, Isaac Mogajane will be talking about his new TV series, Anansi, which the whole industry is excited about: a South African story told by South Africans. I’m also keen to hear from Naomi van Niekerk, who has won awards in the past two years for her short films.
The Cape Town International Animation Festival runs from today until Sunday from 9am. The last event today starts at 8pm. Last event on Saturday starts at 7pm and on Sunday 4.30pm is when the final slot starts. A full festival pass (three days) costs R100 for ASA members, R250 for students and R500 for the public. A day pass costs R350 (tickets include all events). Booking at Webtickets www.webtickets. co.za. Join the CTIAF on Facebook www.facebook.com/CTInternationalAnimationFest and Twitter @ CTanimationfest.