Nickelodeon To Attend Cape Town International Animation Festival 2018

South Africa - Proudly presented by Animation SA, the seventh Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIAF) takes place from Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th March 2018 at the River Club in Observatory, Cape Town.

Kent Mayne, who won the chance to intern at Nickelodeon Animation at 2016's Cape Town International Animation Festival.

With something for all ages, the Festival presents the best of local and international films by award-winning animators, as well as providing a unique platform to engage with global industry leaders in a series of insightful workshops, talks and panel discussions.

The CTIAF has become a significant fixture on the international festival calendar as a marketplace for the fast-growing and internationally acclaimed African animation industry. The Festival also hosts live drawing classes, business-to-business sessions, producer events, networking opportunities and government panel discussions in addition to student competitions and an outreach programme.

The CTIAF is proudly presented by Animation SA and is made possible thanks to generous support from sponsors the Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Cape Town, Wesgro, Nickelodeon, the High Commission of Canada, The Japanese Embassy and Consulate in Cape Town and the French Institute of South Africa. CTIAF has also partnered with Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Animate Africa.

“We have a stellar line up of speakers, featuring some of the best creative and business minds in animation, screenings of the world’s top animated films and a range of free events that are fun for the whole family,” says Festival Director Dianne Makings. “We are delighted to be collaborating with both our long-standing and new partners to bring you the best Festival yet.”

Big Bad Fox, directed by Academy Award nominated French Director Benjamin Renner, will have its local premiere at the CTIAF. Adapted from Renner's own books Le grand méchantrenard and Un bébé à livrer the Hollywood Reporter called the film ‘wacky, heartwarming and wise’. It features a collection of animals on a farm like no other.



From the creators of BAFTA award-winning and Academy Award-nominated Revolting Rhymes comes The Highway Rat, a delightful animation of the popular children’s story by Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler. Produced by Magic Light Pictures and animated at Cape Town based Triggerfish Animation Studios, The Highway Rat tells the tale of a ravenous rat who craves buns, biscuits and all sweet things. Tearing along the highway, he searches for sugary treats to steal, until his sweet tooth leads him to a sticky end. The film premiered on BBC 1 in the UK on Christmas Day and stars David Tennant, Rob Brydon and Tom Hollander.

As part of their centenary celebrations in South Africa, the Japanese Embassy and Consulate in Cape Town have partnered with the CTIAF for a second year. President and CEO of Polygon Pictures John Shuzo Shiota returns to join the speaker line up and there will be screenings of Japanese animated film Mary and the Witch’s Flower directed by Academy Award nominated animator Yonebayashi Hiromasa. John Shuzo Shiota participated in the launch of Dream Pictures Studio in 1997 before he moved to Polygon Pictures two years later.

Alexi Wheeler, Vice President (VP), Animation Production & Developer, Nickelodeon will also be a speaker at seventh Cape Town International Animation Festival.

There will also be a workshop with animation artists including South African Manga group Umlando Wezithombe who won the Bronze medal at the 11th Japan International Manga Award. Manga is a popular art form in Japan. The handing over ceremony of the award will take place at the CTIAF 2018.

Directed by Academy Award nominated animator Yonebayashi Hiromasa Mary and the Witch’s Flower is the first animated film from Studio Ponoc. A strange flower grants a young girl magical powers, which leads to the adventure of a lifetime.



Pear Cider and Cigarettes was nominated for a 2017 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. It will be screened at the CTIAF and its creator, Canadian animator and visual graphic artist Robert Valley, attends the programme to talk about this brutally honest story of a turbulent relationship with a self-destructive, yet charismatic friend from childhood.

The 2018 CTIAF programme will also include a selection of screenings of work by international artists curated by the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.

Sharing expertise

Director Alexandre Heyboyan will also take part at CTIAF. He has animated characters on Kung Fu Panda (2008) and Monsters vs Aliens (2009), worked at Dreamworks and he directed the CG movie Mune, the Moon Guardian, which was selected in Annecy film festival, and won the best feature in the Tokyo Animation Award Festival.

A special highlight for trade visitors, Lorna Withrington, Director of Creative Affairs at Entertainment One will be sharing her insights, expertise and experience about the industry. With a career spanning Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, and Peppa Pig Lorna has worked with some of the biggest brands in children’s television and brings this knowledge to finding and creating the next generation of hit children’s TV shows.

Following the overwhelming response last year to the CTIAF Outreach Programme at the Isivivana centre in Khayelitsha, there will again be screenings of films, drawing classes with Animate Africa, and various workshops to teach the fundamentals of animation.

“There are a number of free events to be enjoyed – from the Artists Alley showcasing the work of some of SA’s most talented graphic artists, to drawing and stop-motion workshops for children aged 7-12 years and free screenings and drawing workshops at the Isivivana centre,” says Makings. “Students also have the opportunity to bring their portfolio to the artist alley for free advice from our industry experts.”

Workshops and awards

The popular CTIAF student awards programme celebrates both team and individual projects across various categories. For the incredible third year, Nickelodeon is sponsoring the phenomenal opportunity for one student to do an internship at Nickelodeon in the USA as part of the student competition. The winners will be announced at an event on Saturday 3 March 2018.

“Other exciting events in our packed programme include a Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) component again, ADOBE demo sessions and talks from our supporters such as the Department of Arts and Culture and the City of Cape Town. Thanks to the award-winning team at Muti who have created our innovative look for the CTIAF 2018 design.”

“CTIAF would like to reassure our visitors – the City of Cape Town is open for business, and events like these are being run in a water wise way, but we remind you, our delegates and visitors to live like a local – 50l a day, and together we will push back #DAYZERO,” adds Makings.

The Cape Town International Animation Festival takes place from 2 to 4 March 2018 at The River Club in Observatory, Cape Town.Visit www.ctiaf.com for the full programme details.

Screenings cost R40.A full Festival pass (valid 2 to 4 March) costs R100 for ASA members, R250 for students and R500 for a full Festival pass. 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

Event Details:

What: The Cape Town International Animation Festival 2018

Where and when: The River Club, Observatory from 2 to 4 March 2018

Book: Webtickets.co.za

Visit: The Cape Town International Animation Festival website

Comments from CTIAF supporters

Department of Arts and Culture (DAC)
“The Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) commissioned a strategy for the animation sector 2014. The purpose of the study was to conduct research on the animation sector that would shed light on the animation landscape in South Africa and how we fit into the world. The information gleaned from this exercise was used in the crafting of the strategy that seeks to inform governmental interventions in the sector. The exercise was helpful in identifying inefficiencies and asymmetries in the animation industry value chain. Further, it puts forward measures that may be implemented to mitigate against these value chain asymmetries. The DAC views the platform created by CTIAF as contributing to the growth and development of the sector. We congratulate the CTIAF on yet another successful instalment of the festival.” Department of Arts and Culture

Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille
“Cape Town as the ideas capital of Africa is fast emerging as a new media hub on the continent. The creative economy, and especially animation, has the ability to provide differentiation in the international market place and unlock competitiveness. Its value is not only in economic terms, though. Through the products and services generated in the creative industries, Capetonians explore their heritage, identity and values. Building an economically resilient city, which can grow in the face of adverse economic conditions, requires a certain level of innovativeness and creativity. These are characteristics that Cape Town is increasingly becoming known for. The City of Cape Town is proud to be associated with an event that highlights to the world the richness of our creative industries and the cutting-edge work that is being done here.” says Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille.

Tim Harris, Wesgro CEO
“The fourth industrial revolution creates significant opportunities for economic growth and job creation in the Western Cape, and we believe that the growing Animation sector in the province is an obvious case in point. The value chain of animation is wide, with one single production resulting in several years of work by large teams of artists and computer scientists. This has already been witnessed in films like

Triggerfish Animation’s Khumba and Adventures in Zambia. Of particular interest to us is that there is a low barrier to access for potential future animators, as talent can easily be identified with a merely a pen or pencil. If we nurture this talent, and further develop coding and IT skills in the province, we will have an increasingly large pool of citizens who will be able to access the excellent opportunities that await in the world of Animation.” says Tim Harris, Wesgro CEO.

Sandra McCardell, High Commissioner of Canada in South Africa.
“The High Commission of Canada is proud to support a Canada focus at the 2018 Cape Town International Animation Film Festival. Canada is a global leader in the animation and digital effects industry and well-known for top innovation and creativity. Festival audiences for the Canadian short films and the Academy Award-nominated Pear Cider and Cigarettes are in for a treat!” says Sandra McCardell, High Commissioner of Canada in South Africa.

Yasushi Naito, Consul of Japan Cape Town
“The Embassy of Japan/ Consulate in Cape Town is pleased to have its second partnership with the Cape Town International Animation Festival in 2018. The 2018 partnership is special because it is our centenary year as the Office of Consul of Japan in Cape Town was established in 1918 as the first overseas mission of the Japanese Government on the African Continent. The Japanese Embassy/Consulate in Cape Town intends to bring Japan closer to Capetonians with our Centenary Celebrations and one way of doing so is through Animation and Manga, which are popular art forms in Japan. Japan has made many advancements in the field and numerous masterpieces and artistic/technological innovations are constantly impacting and influencing Animation and Manga worldwide.

“We are happy to announce that a South African Manga artist group has won the Bronze medal at the 11th Japan International Manga Award. The handing over ceremony of the award will take place at the CTIAF 2018, the award-winning piece is a pictorial story of the life of Nelson Mandela titled Mandela created by Umlando Wezithombe under the Nelson Mandela Foundation. It is a happy coincidence that this group from South Africa won this very competitive award in the year of the Mandela Centenary, a first for animators from Southern Africa. We look forward to many more collaborations in the field of Manga and Animation with Japan in coming years.

“We are excited about this year's Japanese contents at Cape Town International Animation Festival 2018 as we have invited Shuzo Shiota of Polygon Pictures, and there will be screenings of Japanese animation films, including Mary and the Witch’s Flower. There will also be a workshop with animation artists including Umlando Wezithombe.”- Yasushi Naito, Consul of Japan Cape Town

Erika Denis, Regional Head of Media, Film & Music, French Embassy/French Institute of South Africa
"Our partnership with the festival has been a valued collaboration for many years and we look forward to this new opportunity to sharing our support to foster collaborations between the South African and the French animation industries and talents,” says Erika Denis, Regional Head of Media, Film & Music, French Embassy/French Institute of South Africa.

Notes to editors

CTIAF

Now in its seventh year, the CTIAF (previously called Kunjanimation Animation Festival) has enjoyed great successes in its goal of creating a platform for the art and business of South African animation. These successes have included:

- In 2014 they hosted a delegation from France and through that partnership launched the special SA MIFA call to pitch at the Annecy Festival 2015.

- This resulted in a special pitch platform at MIFA for several SA studios.

- Bugbox studios won the pitch and is now partnered with Folimage Studios in a co-production to produce the series.

- In 2013, a formal partnership between the world-renowned Parks based Gobelins l’ecole de l’image and the Animation School in Cape Town with a contract for the next three years.

- Successful talks between the NFVF, GFC, DTI and Animation SA towards adopting an incubator/cluster model for animation development and production, with a research delegation sponsored by French Institute of South Africa planned to coincide with Annecy in June 2015.

- Ties strengthened between the French and South African Animation industry with a successful delegation of French producers having visited in November 2013 and 2014.

- It has also been successful in the building of social capital within the SA animation industry where many studios have historically been competing. The results can be seen in the white papers Animation SA drew up for the DTI in February 2014 on how incentives for the industry could be altered to help SA become more globally competitive.

ANIMATION SA

Animation SA is a non-profit organisation mandated by industry to develop, promote and represent South African animation. It believes that animation has a vital role in transforming South African by articulating values to ourselves, our children and the rest of the world. In this way, its vision is to help build the South African brand through the medium of animation. It is dedicated to creating a healthy self-sustaining animation industry which provides South Africans with creative, challenging and fulfilling jobs.

It seeks to facilitate the growth and evolution of South Africa’s animation industry by:

- Creating new business opportunities by identifying and coordinating export missions to key markets

- Conducting and participating in global market research.

- Creating knowledge-sharing opportunities to upskill our animation professionals

- Helping bring our studios and their original properties to market-readiness

- Consulting with government on policy and strategy, building the framework that will enable the animation industry to thrive.

About Alexi Wheeler

Across Alexi Wheeler’s career he has produced/executive produced over 250 hours of content aimed at pre-schoolers and 6-12 year olds both in live-action and animation. Alexi has experience in varying areas of the children’s media industry from creating/developing content, commissioning and producing programming through to the structuring of production budgets and selling in of content. Alexi has also implemented global schemes including the very successful Nickelodeon International Shorts Program and the International Pre-School Shorts Initiative.

Alexi’s extensive experience in children’s media and broadcasting includes production and development positions at Contender Entertainment, Rubber Duck, HRTV, eOne Family, Squarezero as well as a stint as Managing Director and Founder of the creative consultancy and independent production company, Plimmy Ltd. In 2010, Alexi moved into broadcasting working in acquisitions and programming for Nickelodeon UK before taking a production and development role with the Nickelodeon International team. Since then he was worked his way up from Management level to that of Vice President, Animation Production and Development.

Credits include Production Associate on Peppa Pig, Network Executive on Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom, Exec in Charge on Nella the Princess Knight, Zack and Quack and Tickety Tock, Producer on Humf (BAFTA nominated), Production Manager on Fireman Sam as well as additional roles on content including Lost and Found, Olive the Ostrich, Wanda and the Alien and House of Anubis. Over the last six years Alexi has also unearthed, developed and acted as EIC for more than 35 International Nickelodeon Shorts produced globally as well as multiple pilots. This year Alexi will be leading the charge on a raft of new productions in the international space.

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Original source: Artlink.co.za; Additional source: WeekendSpecial.

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