Inaugural event aimed at sparking youth interest in VFX & Animation
Call for Entries – One Aspiring VFX and Animation Star Will Be Awarded A fully-paid 3-year grant to study At Animation School of SA
Calling all Mzansi’s aspiring VFX and Animation enthusiasts! This weekend, we invite you to come explore the exciting world of visual effects and Animation and meet film professionals who’ve contributed their magical touch to some of your favourite film & TV scenes! This youth month, Johannesburg based visual effects and animation studio, Chocolate Tribe has partnered with Netflix, the world’s leading entertainment streaming service to host the inaugural AVIJozi VFX and Animation Event taking place on 25 June 2022 at the University of Johannesburg Kingsway Campus.
The inaugural AviJozi VFX & Animation Event/competition is aimed at bringing the VFX & Animation into the light of the public domain to showcase this technical and creative industry as a viable career opportunity to South African Youth.
The full day, free event is open to the public and will consist of Q&As with leading film and TV professionals from Quizzical Pictures, Diprente plus Mandla Dube (Director – Silverton Siege), Netflix’s VFX lead, Ben Perry, and Chocolate Tribe’s Executive Creative Director, Rob van den Bragt, Hugo’s Desk Director Hugo Guerra and more. Attendees will also be treated to panel discussions by leading studios, show & tells, Masterclass sessions, competitions, screenings, music and entertainment and a wide range of delicious food from food trucks throughout the day. Registration for event attendance can be done here.
To celebrate Youth Month, AviJozi will also feature an electrifying Animation & Visual Effects challenge for Competitors aged 18-35 from across South Africa will battle it out by showcasing their animation and VFX for a chance to win cash prizes, courses, and merchandise.
One of the event highlights is the announcement of a fully-subsidized 3 year grant sponsored by Netflix for one aspiring VFX creative to study at the prestigious Animation School of South Africa. The grant will not only be open to attendees at the AviJozi Festival but to all South Africans interested in applying to study at The Animation School’s 3 year diploma program and meet the eligibility requirements. In addition, Netflix will be awarding short courses at The Animation School of South Africa to the remaining participants. Further details on how and where to apply for the grant will be shared in due course, in collaboration with the Animation School of SA.
“Chocolate Tribe is passionate about the craftsmanship of telling the African story through animation and VFX,” says Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt, Chocolate Tribe’s Managing Director, “AviJozi is part of this story, so that in a number of ways, we continue to cultivate the next generation of creatives.”
“At Netflix, we’re huge fans of all parts of the creative industry ecosystem and one of the most important roles in storytelling is arguably VFX,” says Allison Triegaardt, Netflix’s lead for Grow Creative in Africa. “In keeping with our goal to nurture creative skills and support more young creatives to grow their careers in the industry, we’re honored to partner with local industry leaders in VFX like Chocolate Trybe to get more young people excited about all things VFX this Youth Month as we continue to push the boundaries of visual storytelling across Africa and beyond.”
Don’t miss the inaugural AviJozi VFX and Animation Event taking place on 25 June 2022 at the University of Johannesburg Kingsway Campus. For more information check out avijozi.co.za
About Chocolate Tribe:
Chocolate Tribe is an award winning high-end visual effects and animation studio based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Our core business is in feature film, television series and advertising. Our creative, technical and in-depth industry knowledge is a culmination of over 25 years of international experience. Our focus is on production pipeline and in-house tool development to streamline everything from the smallest to the biggest productions and deliver international quality standards. Clients include many major production companies, agencies and VFX houses, both locally and internationally.
About Netflix:
Netflix is the world’s leading streaming entertainment service with 222 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, documentaries, feature films and mobile games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.
