The Animae Caribe Animation and Digital Media Festival which is the Caribbean’s biggest and most prestigious animation festival, providing a platform for the development of animators, as well as the exposure of animation as a viable business celebrated its 15th Anniversary this year and was joined by the Guyana and Suriname Animation Networks.
With support from regional institutions like CARICOM, Caribbean Development Bank and the University of Trinidad & Tobago, this year’s festival will be a week of animation screenings along with appearances from animation and gaming professionals from the Caribbean Diaspora who are impacting the animation industry from companies like Disney, Pixar, EA Games etc.
Andres Mänd – Head of Animation Department at Volda University College, Norway; Camille
Abrams – Creative Director of the Animae Caribe Festival; Navid Lancaster – Sound engineer
and CEO of Lancast Ltd, Charlene Banks – Project Manager and IT Specialist at TBI
Enterprises; Caiphus Moore – Senior Artist at E.A.;Yoane Pavadé and Saïdou Bernabé of Parallel 14 out of Martinique.
The festival aims to establish a thriving arts and animation movement in the Caribbean and push animation and the new media industry to the forefront within the region and worldwide.
The Guyana Animation Network (GAN) which was officially launched on July 2nd 2016 facilitates a number of artists, animators, designers, story writers and researchers. This year the Guyana Animation Network (GAN) and the Suriname Animation Network (SAN) decided to establish the first collaboration of its kind in the Caribbean called SAGA NETWORKS (SAN + GAN) to commemorate this momentous occasion.
Although the networks sought to benefit from the many activities, the collaboration’s main focus was on the festival’s Animated Ideas Bootcamp which facilitated a training and development project that encourages group participation for the development of animation concepts for pitching and production.
The winning group will be partnered with Caribbean animation studios and funded to create a short trailer a poster and a Production Bible that will be used for marketing and promotion for further funding both in the region, and international bodies.
University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) Academy for Performing Arts, NAPA
To assist in the development of these concepts are exceptional coaches, all with a background in design and creation such as Caiphus Moore with over 10 years’ experience at EA Games, Yoane Pavadé and Saïdou Bernabé of Parallel 14 out of Martinique who have spent 15 years abroad working as 3D graphic designers for some of the largest international studios.
SAGA NETWORKS won second place in the Animae Caribe Festival Boot camp Film and New Media Festival with their film pitch “The Old Higue” and fourth place with film “Project Mimas.” SAGA also won most promising animator, along with the Trinidad and Tobago Animation Network(TTAN).
A contingent of twenty-one (21) members from both SAGA networks attended the festival which lasted for 7 days. Both networks were also recognized for their work in collaborating for the sake of building the Caribbean Animation Industry and showing that it is possible.
The Animae Caribe Animation and Digital Media Festival continues to embrace and encourage the growth of local content by providing an outlet for innovative animators in the Caribbean to develop, expand and showcase their talents to a wider local and international audience.
