The Cape Town International Animation Festival: Celebrating South African Animation

by
1 min read
South African animators

For animation aficionados, the Cape Town International Animation Festival (CTIF) is a must-attend event. Established in 2011, it has become the largest dedicated animation festival in Africa, showcasing the best of South African animation while providing a platform for animators to connect with each other and with global industry leaders.

The CTIF has come a long way since its inception, growing every year with an ever-expanding range of events, workshops, and masterclasses. As I reflect on past festivals, I’m struck by how much the animation industry in South Africa has evolved. When I first attended the CTIF in 2013, there were only a handful of studios and animators in the country, and the festival’s focus was largely on education and networking. Now, the industry has grown significantly, and the festival highlights the country’s unique storytelling and creative talents.

Newsletter

Stay Informed • Cape Town

Get breaking news, events, and local stories delivered to your inbox daily. All the news that matters in under 5 minutes.

Join 10,000+ readers
No spam, unsubscribe anytime

Showcasing South African Creativity

One of the most exciting things about the CTIF is the platform it provides for South African animators to showcase their work. This year’s festival features a lineup of top animators, including Marc Moynihan and Dylan McGarry, who will explore the cultural and spiritual significance of the oceans from a South African perspective. Additionally, Annike Pienaar, an animation director and character animator, will present her work that has enabled her to relocate to France. The festival will also feature Daniel Snaddon, an award-winning director, and Samantha Cutler, who will present on ‘The Smeds and Smoos.’

Driving Innovation and Job Creation

The CTIF plays a crucial role in driving innovation in the animation industry and creating job opportunities. According to the festival organizers, South African animators have made significant economic impacts in the industry. The festival’s director, Dianne Makings, aims to empower the next generation of animators while promoting their achievements. This is particularly important for a country like South Africa, where many young people lack access to education and opportunities.

A Hybrid Programme for All

The CTIF has always been about more than just screenings and workshops. This year’s festival will coincide with Comic Con Cape Town, offering a hybrid programme that includes masterclasses, competitions, and training courses for animation and film-making enthusiasts. The event will feature renowned animation experts from Pixar Animation Studios, Netflix, Warner Media, and Sony Pictures Animation. Whether you’re an aspiring animator, a seasoned pro, or simply a lover of animation, there’s something for everyone at the CTIF.

I look forward to the upcoming CTIF, I can’t help but feel grateful for the opportunities it provides for South African animators. The festival has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade, showcasing the country’s unique creative talents and providing a platform for animators to connect with each other and with industry leaders. As the festival continues to evolve, I’m excited to see what the future holds for the animation industry in South Africa.

Tumi Makgale is a Cape Town-based journalist whose crisp reportage on the city’s booming green-tech scene is regularly featured in the Mail & Guardian and Daily Maverick. Born and raised in Gugulethu, she still spends Saturdays bargaining for snoek at the harbour with her gogo, a ritual that keeps her rooted in the rhythms of the Cape while she tracks the continent’s next clean-energy breakthroughs.

View all

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Zeitz MOCAA
Previous Story

The Zeitz MOCAA: A Celebration of Contemporary Art from Africa and Beyond

Table Mountain.
Next Story

Table Mountain: A Precious Gift to Cape Town

Latest from Blog

Kiteboarding Extreme Sports

Forty Metres of Air: The Morning Kiteboarding Rewrote Physics

Hugo Wigglesworth, a young kiteboarder, defied gravity and rewrote the record books by soaring an incredible 40 meters into the air. He used powerful winds, a perfectly timed jump off a wave, and special gear to achieve this amazing feat. His careful planning and hundreds of practice runs made him fly higher than anyone before, showing the world what’s possible in kiteboarding.

housing crisis Airbnb

Airbnb Under Fire: How Cape Town’s Housing Crunch Became a Tourism Blame-Game

Cape Town’s housing woes are NOT really Airbnb’s fault, even though a viral photo tried to blame them! The real problem is that not enough homes are being built, and lots of new people are moving to the city. Getting building permits takes forever, making homes expensive. Airbnb brings in lots of money and jobs, and even if all Airbnbs disappeared, it wouldn’t fix the big housing shortage. The city needs to build more homes and make it easier to do so, not just point fingers at tourists.

Cape Town Restaurants

Cape Town’s Hottest Tables: Where Summer Tastes Like Salt, Smoke and Midnight Vinyl

Cape Town’s new restaurants are super exciting, offering amazing tastes from the ocean, farms, and even old recipes. Places like Amura serve unique sea dishes, while Tannin has a huge wine list and tiny plates. Café Sofi bakes heavenly pastries, Beach Buns makes awesome burgers, and Le Bistrot de JAN mixes French and South African flavors. These spots let you taste the city’s lively food scene, from fancy dinners to casual beach eats, making every meal an adventure.

South Africa Ocean

Between Concrete and Current – Four Inland Hearts Meet the Indian Ocean

This article tells a beautiful story of four South Africans from inland places who see the Indian Ocean for the very first time. For many, the sea is just a picture, far away and hard to reach. But when these brave people finally touch the salty water, it changes them deeply. They feel the ocean’s power, taste its salt, and understand that this huge, blue world is now a part of their own story, breaking down old ideas about who can connect with the sea.