South African partners, French collaborate to support South African animation industry
The Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, a South African startup innovation hub, and the National Film and Video Foundation have strengthened ties with international partners by signing partnership agreements.
The agreements which were signed at the recent 2019 Annecy International Animated Film Festival also featured Paris-based animation school “Gobelins” and the French Embassy in South Africa.
Both agreements objective is to grow the animation industry’s skills pipeline by offering training, internships, and scholarships to animators in Africa.
In addition, it also presents the opportunity to enhance the linkages between African animation talent, producers, schools and institutions with their French counterparts.
However, by joining forces, the two organizations aim to strengthen their support for the South African film and TV industry and also to foster better cooperation between South African and French ecosystems in film, TV and new formats.
Tshimologong Animation Studio art director, Lesego Vorster said that
“The partnership with Gobelins offers interns strong support from one of the best schools in the world, not only in raising the standard and quality of the work to come out of the Tshimologong Animation Studio but also to broaden the horizons of all interns”.
The head of International Relations, Gobelins, Cécile Blondel also added that
“South Africa is a vibrant soil of young creativity. Talents are numerous, young and passionate, the promise of a very bright future and the emergence of a powerful African animation”.
The contract between the French Embassy in South Africa and the National Film and Video Foundation and addresses scholarships, skills exchange, training needs, and co-production opportunities.
The NFVF will contribute up to EUR16,000 for a scholarship for the Gobelins “Character Animation and animated filmmaking – Master of Arts” qualification. The Animation School, SA, and Campus France will also fund this scholarship.
However, Gobelins, NFVF, the French Institute of South Africa, the Animation School and Campus France have awarded this scholarship to Karien Benz.
