This year’s COM-eCON (Nairobi’s online comic convention) organised by NAICCON, couldn’t happen in-person, so instead it was an online extravaganza of comic, animation and gaming activity, which both ADMI and ADMF were lucky enough to be a part of.
First off we had Wilfred Kiumi, ADMI Cofounder, and also founder of the Africa Digital Media Studios, talking on a panel about film with a stellar line-up featuring the following talented producers and film and TV professionals, alongside our very own Wilfred:
Toni Kamau, We Are Not The Machine (Kenya)
Jinna Mutune, Pegg Entertainment (Kenya)
Samuel Tebandeke, Kiasi TV (Uganda)
Serge Noukoue, French Embassy/Nollywood Week (Nigeria)
This exuberant panel explored issues of talent cultivation, skills building, and route to market, and together represented a number of countries and perspectives. You can check out the full discussion on Youtube here.
Next up we had Dennis Mbuthia, ADMI Game design and development lead, and a professional animator and game designer, featuring on the animation panel, aptly named ‘United Nations of Animation’ at this year’s COM-eCON.
Dennis, who is also the Treasurer of the Kenyan Association of Animation Artistes, was alongside some incredible panelists:
Mounia Aram – Founder & President Mounia Aram Company
Nick Wilson – Founder & CEO Africa Animation Network
Animation is a burgeoning industry in Africa, and we at ADMI and ADMF want to ensure the talent, environment, and linkages are in place to get young people into the industry as quickly and productively as possible, and this is something that all the animation panelists at the 2020 edition of COM-eCON also believed in. You can find the full recording on Youtube here.
Here’s hoping by next year’s edition of NAICCON’s flagship event we’ll have some major advancements in the industry to report on, and that Nairobi’s comic and animation fans will be able to gather in-person, in full cosplay regalia as they usually do for this annual event!