Smids Animation Studios

Keko Africa and Ashanami are heading to Annecy 2026! 🥳✨

We're excited to be part of the world's biggest animation festival, and we can't wait to connect with creators, studios, distributors, partners, investors, broadcasters, and animation lovers from around the globe!

From the vibrant adventures of Keko Africa to the magical underwater world of Ashanami, we're bringing African stories, culture, and imagination to the global stage💃🏿

This is an incredible opportunity to explore partnerships, discover new opportunities for collaboration, and share our vision for the future of African animation with the world.

📍 Visit us at Stand C-01
📍 Date : 21 – 27 June 2026
📍 Imperial Palace, Annecy, France

See you at Annecy! 💃🏿💛

We Are Hiring 2D Animators!

Do you bring characters to life through movement, emotion, and storytelling?

Join our team and create animations that inspire, entertain, and educate.

🚨 Please note: This role is strictly for candidates based in Lagos and is not a remote position.

📩 Apply now and send us your portfolio, the link is in at bio (SMIDS LINKS)

We can't wait to meet you! 🥳💛

Looking for where to start your creative journey?🎨✨

Join Smids Animation Studios as an intern and gain hands-on experience, learn from industry professionals, and grow your skills in a creative environment.

Whether you're passionate about animation, storytelling, design, or content creation, this could be the opportunity you've been waiting for.

Apply now via the link in our bio.

N/B : You must be based in Lagos and this internship is on-site.

Today, we celebrate the little dreamers, the loud laughers, the future storytellers, and the children whose imaginations make worlds come alive. 🌍✨

At Smids Animation Studios, every story we create is inspired by the wonder, courage, and creativity children carry so naturally. From adventures filled with action to stories that teach strength and hope, we remain committed to creating animation that children can see themselves in and grow with.

Happy Children’s Day to every child daring to dream beyond limits. Keep imagining. Keep creating. The future belongs to you💛

From Nigeria to Kenya, to Ethiopia to South Africa, to Ghana and more, we screened amazing animated films made by talented creators who are telling stories in their own unique way. 🎬

The reactions, questions and excitement in the room would immediately remind you why storytelling matters so much. Different countries, different styles, different voices… but everyone connected through animation.

And honestly, seeing children sit together and experience all these beautiful stories was really special. 💛

Something is stirring beneath the waters… 🌊

Whispers is more than just a short film, it’s a story rooted in the traditions of the Niger Delta, where nature, culture, and mystery meet.

A quiet tale.
A powerful message.

At its heart lies a call to protect the gentle giants of our waters — manatees — and the fragile world they call home.

But this is only the beginning…

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be introducing you to the characters — their stories, their purpose, and the roles they play in this journey.

Stay close… you might just hear the whispers.

🎞📽⚡️

Meet Desire, our Production & Project Manager at Smids Animation Studios ⚙️✨

In this week’s Smids Unscripted Q&A, Desire shares what it’s like being at the center of production, reviewing schedules, coordinating the team, tracking progress, and making sure every moving part of a project stays aligned. She helps keep communication flowing and timelines on track so the creative team can focus on bringing stories to life.

She also talks about why Keko is a project she’s especially proud of. Managing the production process and supporting the team as everything came together made the experience incredibly rewarding.

Her advice for anyone interested in production? Stay organized, communicate clearly, and always think ahead.

If she were a cartoon character, she’d be Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, focused, hardworking, and determined to turn a vision into reality. ✨

Swipe through to meet Desire and drop a question you’d love to ask her about managing animation production at Smids!

For the past 10 days, we’ve been on an incredible journey with the Neurodivergent Creators Lab, organized by Simeon’s Oasis, with Smids Animation Studios leading the animation training. 💛✨

These talented students explored the full creative process from scriptwriting and directing to music production, editing, and animation. Watching them discover their voices through art and storytelling has been truly inspiring.

It has been a deeply impactful and transformative experience, not just for the students, but for all of us involved.

We’re grateful to all the amazing partners KapHub, Shades of Life Foundation, Chocolate City, Down Syndrome Foundation, Trace TV, and many others for supporting this beautiful initiative.

This was more than a workshop.
It was a journey of creativity, confidence, and possibility. 🎬🎨

Meet Esther, one of the creative minds at SMIDS who helps bring our animated worlds to life. 🎨✨ As a props and background artist, her day involves reviewing scenes and designing the environments and objects that make each story feel real and alive. She’s especially proud of contributing to Keko Africa, where her work helps showcase African culture through vibrant and engaging settings for kids. Esther encourages anyone interested in this path to observe the world around them and keep practicing drawing environments. And if she could be any cartoon character, she’d choose Elsa from Frozen—because, like Elsa, she loves turning imagination into something beautiful. ❄️🎬

She will probably write what she learnt from her dream 😂 😂
Happy weekend 🎈 😄