Animation S.A.

🌟 Could your story be the next Inclusive Lens Awards winner?⁠
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In 2025, Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes took home the Diversity in Kids' Programming – Pre-School award, celebrating the power of authentic, inclusive storytelling for young audiences.⁠
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Set in the vibrant Afro-urban world of Kimoja City, the series follows three best friends who become superheroes, using teamwork, courage and kindness to protect their community. More than just entertainment, the show was recognised for its authentic African representation, empowering Black female lead, and its commitment to creating stories that inspire empathy, inclusion and respect from an early age.⁠
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Now it's your turn.⁠
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The Inclusive Lens Awards 2026 are looking for the next generation of children's programming that reflects the richness of our world and gives every child the opportunity to see themselves on screen.⁠
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If you've created a pre-school series that champions diversity, representation and meaningful storytelling, we want to celebrate your work.⁠
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📅 Key dates:⁠
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Submissions close: Friday, 13 July 2026⁠
Finalists announced: Monday, 31 August 2026⁠
Awards Ceremony: Thursday, 29 October 2026⁠
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✨ Be the next winner in the Diversity in Kids' Programming category.⁠
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Enter today: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=P-50kiWUCUGif5-xXBBnXYp9ssoSYHNKv2LgWATXjrVUMzRIWVNHSUs2UE5YWU5ITFMwVERBUEhJOS4u
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We’re proud to officially welcome Animation South Africa as a partner of FAME Week Africa 2026! 🎬🌍🎮⁠
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Here’s what they had to say about this exciting collaboration:⁠
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“Animation South Africa is proud to partner with Fame Week Africa 2026 in a collaboration that celebrates the future of African creativity, storytelling, and innovation across the animation, VFX, gaming, and entertainment industries. Together, we are building a platform that empowers animators, artists, creators, studios, and industry professionals to connect, collaborate, and showcase the incredible talent emerging from across the continent.⁠
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This partnership represents a shared commitment to growing Africa’s creative economy and creating meaningful opportunities across the animation, VFX, gaming, and entertainment sectors. By bringing together visionary storytellers, global industry leaders, and rising creative talent, Animation South Africa and Fame Week Africa aim to inspire new ideas, spark powerful collaborations, and amplify African voices on the world stage.⁠
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As we look ahead to 2026, we are excited to help shape the future of animation, VFX, gaming, and entertainment in Africa through impactful conversations, networking, talent development, and unforgettable experiences.⁠
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Stronger together. Bigger impact.”

🎬✨ INCLUSIVE LENS AWARDS 2026

A reminder to get your entries in.

The Inclusive Lens Awards 2026 celebrate bold, authentic storytelling that breaks barriers, challenges stereotypes, and champions meaningful representation on screen.

Taking place as part of FAME Week Africa 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, the awards recognise content that is shaping a more inclusive and diverse global media landscape.

FAME Week Africa is proud to present EarCandy, Africa’s leading media localization provider, as the sponsor of the Inclusive Lens Awards 2026. With expertise in dubbing, subtitling, and post-production across more than 28 African languages, EarCandy plays a key role in ensuring stories connect with audiences across cultures while retaining their authenticity.

From powerful documentaries to groundbreaking scripted series and inspiring kids’ programming, this is your opportunity to have your work recognised on an international stage.

FAME Week Africa is looking for stories that push boundaries, amplify underrepresented voices, and drive real impact across the industry.

🏆 Categories include:
✨ Kids’ Programming
✨ Representation of Disability
✨ LGBTQIA+ Representation

📅 Submission deadline: 13 July 2026

🎯 If your work challenges perspectives and advances representation, this is your moment.

👉 Submit your project:
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/piDCzFLW2h

👉 Learn more:
https://www.fameweekafrica.com/mip-africa/en-gb/inclusive-lens-awards.html

Be part of a movement that celebrates stories that matter. Be seen. Be recognised.

🚨 Registration Now Open: FAME Week Africa 2026

Be part of Africa’s leading platform for the creative and cultural industries as FAME Week Africa returns to Cape Town, South Africa, from 28 October to 1 November 2026.

Bringing together industry leaders, creatives, buyers, and investors from across Africa and around the world, this is where African stories meet global opportunity 🌍

✨ What to expect:

• MIP Africa, the premier B2B market for film, TV and digital content
• Muziki Africa, connecting the music industry
• African Fashion Forum, where fashion meets film, TV and music
• FAME Shorts Film Festival, bold storytelling on screen

🇫🇷 Destination Focus: France

“France is honoured to be the Destination Focus of FAME Week Africa 2026. This recognition reflects a shared commitment to strengthening ties between African and French creative industries.”
– David Martinon, Ambassador of France to South Africa

“FAME Week Africa has become a critical meeting point for the global creative industry to engage with Africa’s content, talent, and opportunities.”
– Martin Hiller, Portfolio Director

🏙️ Hosted by the City of Cape Town

“Cape Town is proud to host FAME Week Africa, a platform that showcases the city and the continent as a hub for creativity, innovation, and investment.”
– JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security

🎯 Pre-register for early access to programme updates and meetings

🔗 https://register.fameweekafrica.com/register
🔗 https://www.fameweekafrica.com

🎬 STILL DEFINING THE MOMENT

Submissions for the 35th Annual Pan African Film Festival will open APRIL 15th!
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📅 Deadlines:
• Early: May 14
• Regular: July 16
• Late: Aug 16
• Extended (Features Only): Sept 16

🔥 NEW: Vertical Series (9:16 micro-dramas) now accepted

PAFF is an Academy Award™ qualifying film festival in the live action, documentary and animated shorts categories.

🎥 Submit now: FilmFreeway.com/ThePanAfricanFilmFestival

New podcast ep!! Kabelo Maaka of Art by Cabblow Studios talks about indie animation, how to work the markets, and surviving the upcoming robot apocalypse! https://animationsa.podbean.com/e/building-your-ips-audience-from-the-grassroots-up-kabelo-maaka-on-rorisang-and-the-gurlz/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPP-ktoi7pY

Building an original IP from the grassroots up: Kabelo Maaka From drawing in the margins of her mum's medical reference books, to studying at Gobelins Summer School, to getting into Annecy with her first short film, Ka...

The City of Cape Town invites filmmakers to apply for film project support. Submissions are open until 31 May for film productions scheduled for completion in the 2026/2027 financial year.

Film fund applications now open - Film Cape Town Our film fund is officially open. Apply now for financial support to develop and produce your film.

Eastern Cape, is still coming to you – with new dates!

The Pixel Creators Creative Tech Sector Census roadshow is hitting the province to map animation, gaming, VFX, VR/AR and esports activity. If you’re a studio, freelancer, student, team-in-formation or supporting role, Pixel wants to hear from you. DM on instagram for more details.

We know the creative economy is not small. In South Africa, the cultural, creative and sports economy has been estimated at around 3.9% of GDP on average between 2021 and 2023. But within that, digital and interactive parts of the value chain are often poorly measured.

Sector coordinating body Pixel Creators has launched a pilot Creative Tech Sector Census to take place in the KwaZulu-Natal (15-24 April 2026) and Eastern Cape (4-13 May 2026) to map the country’s gaming, animation, visual effects, virtual and augmented reality, and esports industries. Pixel Creators is calling on digital arts organisations and practitioners in these Provinces to make their voices heard through participation in the Roadshows.

Pixel Creators is counting studios, freelancers, teams-in-formation, and supporting roles. If you do story, concept art, music, voice, programming, production management, QA, localization, marketing for games, animation pipelines, VFX, AR/VR, or esports production—you are part of the ecosystem.”

For more info email [email protected]

New podcast ep! Julia Smuts Louw talks to Alex Rockwell, veteran animation and kids' content producer and Jim Henson's former right-hand-woman. Enjoy!

Jim Henson Company veteran ALEX ROCKWELL on her journey and today's kids' content market | Animation South Africa Podcast Alex Rockwell, Jim Henson's long-time right-hand woman, talks kids' content in today's animation landscape. From her experience wrangling muppets to her work on beloved kids' shows like Slumberkins and Word Party, Alex has gotten to grips with kids' content in just about every format. Tune in to fin...