Animation has been somewhat of a shadowy player in Zimbabwean film and visual communications. From advertising to architecture its influence has been central for well over a decade, but has been largely unacknowledged by many outside of the small community of animators itself, and the few knowledgeable clients whom they service. ZIMFAIA, therefore, aims to bring the joys and remarkable possibilities of animation to a wider national and continental audience, by highlighting, both the full breadth of international animation activities, and the ready accessibility of skills within those various activities in Zimbabwe, where a deep pool of dedicated, knowledgeable and highly capable animators exists, and continues to grow.

Zimbabwe’s first animation festival, the Zimbabwe Festival of African Inspired Animation (ZIMFAIA) organised by the Joint Afrikan Animation Group (JAAG) supported by the Alliance Francaise is on the cards with dates scheduled for 30 to 31 July at the Alliance Francaise. 

Celebrating an abundance of creativity, in addition to screenings, a production focus to demystify the fine points of the animating process and a digital exhibition are among other activities to be held during the two day event.

Open  to advertising agencies, production  houses  and students, the Production  Focus   will be a “show  and tell” experience, which  will  breakdown  the  animating process  with  basic modules in Concept and Story Development; Storyboard Development; Character and Environment Design; Modeling and Texturing; Rigging and Animation; Rendering and compositing as well  as Editing and Sound.

The focus is designed to promote creativity and offer opportunity for discourse between the creators and potential users of animation and visual effects. An exciting presentation,  running throughout  the fete  will be an exhibition  showcasing  the  diverse range  of   digital  work  created by a talented  lot of Zimbabweans.