You may have heard of the upcoming ZIMFAIA festival. For those who havent, it has to be the most creative, craziest, outta the box collection of young people in Zimbabwe. They go by the name of JAAG- and thats not a shortcut for a very nice car. (Pictured: Solomon
The Joint Afrikan Animation Group (JAAG) was conceptualised in March 2007 by Marvel Banda, Nqobizitha Mlilo and Solomon Maramba and has JAAG logo existed since then as an online network bringing people together (50 to date) from around the world with large participation from Africa and most dominantly Zimbabwe.
The Joint Afrikan Animation Group (JAAG) is composed of individuals involved in animation and visual effects with a focus on developing a viable visual effects and animation industry in Africa.
On February 22 2008, JAAG members from Zimbabwe met for the first time and began to work towards the development of the local animation industry. The inaugural meeting was attended by over 30 individuals comprised of animators, visual effects artists and students.
A steering committee of volunteers that included, Claire Dongo, Shingai Mtezo, Marvel Banda, Carl Joshua Ncube, Nqobizitha Mlilo and Solomon Maramba was formed and they began planning and organising outreach activities.
Since then JAAG members have come together and worked on some really tight concepts; brought a cockroach with ninja abilities to life, given birth to a lovable version of a Zimbabwe’s salad chicks, shown us a goat with stunts and been involved with some music projects that make you want to ask; Was this done in Zimbabwe?
It was.
The group has completed the following projects collaboratively under JAAG Initiatives:
* Untouchables music video (fully animated)
* Untouchables featured in filmed music video (integrated animation
and live footage)
* Ninja Bete
* Tariro A Peace of Afrika
* Salad Chick 1
* Salad Chick 2
* Stunt Goat
Since 2008, JAAG has participated in the largest international film festival in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) with members contributing content as well as the following:
Directing and producing a short film for ZIFFs initiative, the Short Film Project called, Heart of Hearts.
In 2009, JAAG held a day long Production Focus event, where the various players in the animation industry opened up the production process behind the creative generation of animation and visual effects. The Production Focus was opened to aspiring artists in the field, commercial consumers of animation as well as the general public.
JAAG facilitated the branding of ZIFF 2009 through the JAAG network. A call was made to the JAAG community for the creative development of the branding for the 2009 edition of the festival, designs were submitted and a winning design was selected.
Members of JAA have continued to produce ground breaking work. Nqobizitha Mlilo facilitated a successful music video workshop with contributions from fellow JAAG members during ZIFF 2009. Tafadzwa Tarumbwa won the award for best animated film at the ZIFF 2009 with his short film, Ambivalence (A JAAG Initiative).
Don’t take our word for it. Come to ZIMFAIA and you’ll see that the JAAG has only just begun to rev its engine.
ZIMFAIA is made possible through the support of Alliance Franaise and will run for two days from July 30 to July 31 at the Alliance Franaise de Harare premises at 328 Herbert Chitepo Avenue.
The theme of the festival is Out of the Box, referring to the emergence of the animation industry in Zimbabwe. Visual effects artists and animators will be coming out of their respective “boxes” and the industry itself will be coming “out of the box” demonstrating its potential and verve to produce what the consumer is searching for.
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