Abuja: Animated film festival holds

The second edition of the Animated Film Festival organised by the French Embassy, Abuja in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy, Abuja  is holding in the capital city.  At the opening ceremony on Wednesday, French ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Denys Gauer, said the event was organised in the frame of the French ‘Fête du cinema d’animation,’ […]

The second edition of the Animated Film Festival organised by the French Embassy, Abuja in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy, Abuja  is holding in the capital city. 

At the opening ceremony on Wednesday, French ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Denys Gauer, said the event was organised in the frame of the French ‘Fête du cinema d’animation,’ a national festival which takes place simultaneously in many cities in France and in the French cultural network all over the world to give animated films more visibility. 

Gauer said France and Japan have developed their own style of drawing and storytelling. 

He said: “The “French touch” is based on poetry, originality, conciseness and humour.”

The envoy who described the Nigerian animation industry as fledging said: “Nigerian animated movies are still rare despite being the second largest film industry in teh wirld. There is a dearth of animation and children movies although Nigeria is well-known for its talent, imagination and creativity.”

With more and more animated studios opening in Abuja and Lagos, he said the sub-sector is still facing challenges. 

“It is the reason why, we have decided with our Japanese partners to dedicate one of the four evenings to the animation industry in Nigeria.”

The Nigerian evening which held yesterday, Friday, showcased animated films made in Nigeria and featured a panel discussion among experts, young Nigerian animators and filmmakers from Nigerian studios, on the state of animation in the country. 

Japanese ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Sadanobu Kusaoke who was hopeful that yesterday’s discussion with Nigerian animators as well as the screening of Nigerian animated films would trigger trilateral exchange in animated film creating among Nigeria, France and Japan, also said there is much to learn from Nollywood’s and Nigeria’s filmmaking. 

He said: “In August our two countries in Nairobi, organised the joint event in the context of the ‘France-Japan Partnership for Africa,’ as the official side event of the sixth Tokyo International Conference on African Development. The animated festival is a good starter of our cultural corporation in Nigeria.” 

The movies screened so far at the festival are ‘Phantom Boy,’ ‘Spirited Away.’ It ends today with the screening of ‘Approved for adoption’ and ‘Wolf Children.’