Inaugural Kwetu International Animation Film Festival to Kick Off

The Kwetu International Animation Film Festival (KIAFF), a new East Africa-based animation festival, is set to run online from April 2 to 3.

Fifty animated works from around the world will be shown during the two-day festival, which will include features (longer than 45 minutes), shorts and TV commercials, with a focus on projects made by African animators in Africa. Various awards will be presented by the jury on Monday, April 5, live on Zoom.

The films will be able to be viewed—and voted on for the Audience Choice Award—via KIAFF’s streaming partner, NuellaTV. All films will be free to watch for those in East Africa, (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan). For those outside of the region, a ticket price of $10 will enable access to all the films over the two days.

The festival also includes a workshop from April 1 to 3, Writing for Animation, taught by Anaeli Kihunrwa from MediaOne.

The theme for the inaugural edition of KIAFF is Between Art and Reality.

Daniel Nyalusi, festival founder and director, said: “Technology has changed and now it allows for animation filmmakers to make more films. Also, there is a need for more initiatives in East Africa that helps/pushes animators to produce more films. Animation films have been loved and still loved by children and family, hence its audience is permanent, so filmmakers must be more creative and feed the market. Kwetu International Animation Film Festival (KIAFF) will be the platform and the only place that will bring together animation filmmakers and stakeholders, including the corporate companies that use animation for advertisement. KIAFF will be organized every year in April and also organize training workshops throughout the year. The aim of KIAFF is to become the center and the hub of the animation film industry in East Africa.”