We are thrilled to announce that five (5) talented animation studios from Ghana have been selected to showcase their work at the Pitch Partners session of the prestigious Annecy Festival 2023 in France! This is a remarkable accomplishment for these studios and a testament to their unwavering commitment to their craft. Ghanaian animation is truly on the rise!
Karen-Happuch P. Henneh of KHPH Studios is thrilled to present her short film “Abrefi Koto”, while Jesse Sunkwa-Mills of Mills Media is excited to share his television series âAsantewaaâ, Emmanuel, an animator from the Surf Ghana Collective is eager to present his series âFa Ma )Moâ. Sarpei Kwadey and Nii Ofei Dodoo of Indigene BROS can’t wait to unveil their feature film âSOANâ (Soul of A Nation) and Najilau Dramundu and Rudolf Zeglo of 9th March Studios are proud to showcase their feature film âTalataâ!
The hard work leading up to this accomplishment was a demanding one. From 23rd to 27th January 2023, the MIFA Campus International РTalents workshop, an international training program for professionals in the animation industry, organized by the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and International Film Market (MIFA), in partnership with the French Embassy in Ghana, held at the Alliance Fran̤aise Accra, gave the chosen studios the opportunity to receive mentoring from three renowned French professionals. This mentoring provided the projects with more depth and clarity from a visual and narrative perspective and gave the project leaders the confidence and ability to compete in the international market.
Delphine Nicolini, project coordinator, consultant, and independent artistic producer, Anita Doron, scriptwriter (of Breadwinner on Netflix), and Osman Cerfon, director (of shorts Aaaah & I’m going out of cigarettes), were the trainers and they put their heart into their work by transmitting their passion, knowledge, and experience to the seven (7) Ghanaian animators who represented the five (5) studios.
The selected studios had the honor of presenting their revised pitches in front of a distinguished audience, including H.E. Mr. Jules Armand Aniambossou, the French Ambassador to Ghana, representatives from Ghana’s culture and creative arts sector, the French Development Agency and the European Union delegation at the French Ambassador’s Residence on the 27th January 2023.
For the first time in Ghana’s animation history, the five (5) animation studios are currently gearing up to pitch their projects at the Annecy Festival during the Pitch Partners session, which is part of the official program of the festival every year. This session is highly coveted because it offers great visibility to an audience of professionals looking for original content.
This is not only a significant milestone for these studios, but it also speaks to the potential of the animation industry in Ghana. It is an opportunity to showcase the talent and creativity of Ghanaian animators on a global stage and attract the attention of international investors and collaborators.
We call on all film industry stakeholders to support these Ghanaian animation studios and their projects. Investing in these projects is not only an investment in the growth and development of the animation industry in Ghana but also an investment in the promotion of Ghanaian culture and art on the global stage.
Let us come together to support these Ghanaian animation studios, and make Ghana a hub for animation. Animation is an incredibly important part of the film industry, and it is a great way to bring people from all over the world together.
