Kunjani'mation festival coming up soon

Whereas the moving picture industry is improved by technological advancements, more awareness and interest for this art needs to be raised. Thus, Kunjani'mation #1 aims at promoting animation as a genre towards the public by showcasing animation films and enables professionals to gather and exchange views on animation.

The programme will include the screenings of various animation films as well as a workshop.

Two projection evenings

On 14 and 15 October, the Alliance Française of Johannesburg will host two projection evenings combining a variety of styles and subjects. The evenings will start with short films by South African directors, including William Kentridge and the The Black Heart Gang, followed by a selection of short subjects from the Annecy International Film Festival and finishing with some fantastic French feature films.

On 15 October, Wits Digital Arts will host a series of workshops covering various aspects of animation art and business, as well as an exhibition of animation designs.

Friday, 14 October (Alliance Française of Johannesburg, 7 pm)
- We Come Together (2 min - 2011) a music video by Cape Town-based animator Mike Scott
- The Tale of How (4 min - 2008) by The Blackheart Gang
- New Digs (2 min - 2010) by Martin Sen
- A selection of Annecy Film Festival 2011 (10 min)
- A Cat in Paris (70 min - 2010) by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicity. Dino is a cat who shares his life between two houses. During the day, he lives with Zoé, the only daughter of Jeanne, a police captain. At night, he clambers over the roofs of Paris in the company of Nico, a very skilful thief. Jeanne is on edge. Not only must she arrest the burglar responsible for numerous jewellery thefts, but she must also oversee the surveillance of the Colossus of Nairobi, a giant statue coveted by public enemy number one Victor Costa.

Saturday, 15 October (Wits Digital Arts)
- 10 am to 12 pm: Panorama of the animation industry in southern Africa: the case of Zimbabwe (Joint African Animation Group), Namibia (Robert Scott) and South Africa (Animation SA)
- 1.30pm to 3 pm: International business and industry perspectives by a representative of the Annecy International Animation Film Market and the South African animated feature film industry
- 3pm to 4.30 pm: Training the forthcoming generation of animation professionals:
The case of Gobelins Summer School programmes by David Theron, Shannon Taylor and Daniel Snaddon. The point of view of South African animation schools

Saturday, 15 October (Alliance Française of Johannesburg, 7pm)
- The Shadow Boy (12 min - 2007) a sand-on-glass animation by Justine Puren
- Felix in Exile (9 min - 1994) by William Kentridge
- A selection of Annecy Film Festival 2011 (10 min)
- The Triplets of Belleville (80 min - 2002) by Alain Chomet. Madame de Souza is worried about her young nephew, Champion. Nothing interests him and he is bored to death. One day, she discovers a pile of photos of the Tour de France and various cycling champions he has been hiding. She then buys him a bike and gets him training to be the future winner of the cycling race. It's a bad move, for her nephew falls prey to the mafia. They kidnap him and put him to work in an illegal casino on the other side of the Atlantic where virtual races are run for high stake.

Please note that booking for both screenings and workshops is essential. Contact Damien Meyrignac on +27 (0)11 646 1169 or az.gro.ecnailla@bhj.erutluc. Free of charge.

Venues

The Alliance Française, 17 Lower Park Drive, Cr Kerry Road, Parkview, Joburg
WITS Digital Arts - Digital Arts Convent in the Wits School of Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand

Kunjani'mation is co-organised by the French Institute of South Africa, the Embassy of France in South Africa, the Alliance Française of Johannesburg, Animation SA and Wits Digital Arts.