Triggerfish on target

ANIMATION: COMPANY MAKING WAVES ‘Awards highlights pioneering role they have played South Africa and Africa.’

Annecy International Animation Festival has awarded Triggerfish the Mifa Animation Industry Award. “This is to highlight the pioneering role that the company has played in animation in South Africa and Africa,” says Véronique Encrenaz, head of Mifa.

Previous recipients include Christopher Meledandri, founder of Illumination (Despicable Me); the cofounders of Aardman, Peter Lord and David Sproxton (Wallace & Grommet); Marc Bonny, the creator of Gebeka Films (My Life As A Courgette); Eric Beckman, founder of GKIDS (Wolfwalkers); and Women in Animation (WIA).

Handing over the 2021 award to Triggerfish chief executive Stuart Forrest, Encrenaz celebrated the studio’s animation, which she says has “already earned a constellation of prizes”.

Triggerfish’s first two films,

Adventures in Zambezia and

Khumba, sold nine million cinema tickets globally.

Triggerfish also produced the upcoming 2021 feature Seal Team and animated the Academy Award-nominated Roald Dahl adaptation Revolting Rhymes as well as much-loved Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler adaptations such as the 2021 Annie Awards winner The Snail and the Whale, 2020 International Emmy winner Zog, the Bafta-nominated and Annecy-winning Stick Man, and the Rose d’Or-winning The Highway Rat, all produced by Magic Light Pictures.

Encrenaz praised the way Triggerfish had helped with “structuring an industry to give all its professionals support”, playing key roles in setting up key pillars of the animation industry in South Africa, like the industry association AnimationSA; the showcase and networking event AnimationXchange; and The Cape Town International Animation Festival, originally called Kunjanimation. She also pointed to their support of The Animation School, both through bursaries and in taking on so many of their graduates.

In addition, Encrenaz acknowledged the impact of their free online course, Triggerfish Academy, and the Triggerfish Story Lab, a pan-African talent search that has already seen two series greenlit for the world stage: Mama K’s Team 4 for Netflix and Kiya for eOne, Disney Junior and Disney+.

“I’m feeling so proud,” says Mike Buckland, head of production at Triggerfish, after watching Encrenaz’s video speech.

“Sometimes you need a speech and a rabbit to remind yourself of how much you appreciate your partners and your team. Thanks to everyone who’s helped get us where we are.”

Says Forrest: “We’ve been very fortunate to come of age in a time when the world really is looking for other voices, We know animation has a unique ability to cross boundaries, so we’re so excited to share the new wave of groundbreaking African creatives with the world.”

Annecy, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year with a hybrid edition, started on Monday. This year’s festival is spotlighting African animation, with Triggerfish featuring prominently.

Khumba and Stick Man are two of the closing night films on Saturday. Stick Man won the Cristal for Best TV Production at Annecy in 2016, while Khumba competed for Best Film at Annecy in 2013. Also screening is Belly Flop, which went on to win 15 awards around the world.