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The Minister Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies has congratulated Diprente, a black youth media company on its award winning pitch at Annecy International Animation Festival 2018, France. The Annecy International Animation Festival and Market is the global animation industry’s leading showcase for co-producing, purchasing, selling, financing and distributing animation content. The company won the global TV Series and Specials MIFA Pitches as well as the Disney.

Minister Davies congratulated the company on their winning and welcomed Diprente’s commitment to job creation amongst the youth. He further commended Diprente on their transformation and skills development program where the company sources young talent with an emphasis on identifying, hiring and up-skilling previously disadvantaged individuals.

Minister Davies said that the commitment of Diprente in skills development and local recruitment further supported and motivated other emerging black owned production companies and producers active within the sector and served as an example of the talent and creativity available within South Africa.

“It’s encouraging to see black animators entering the space which is still white dominated. The Department of Trade and Industry is committed in ensuring that transformation take place in sectors that are regarded as specialised.  This success builds on that achieved by fellow South African company Triggerfish Animation Studio’s who over the last two years have won the top prize for TV production at Annecy, and are in competition for the same prize this year with their work on the BBC1 Christmas special, Highway Rat.  The Department of Trade and Industry, through its Sector Specific Assistance Programme (SASS), funded 20 animation companies to participate at 2018 Animation Film Festival,” said Davies.

A team of government officials from the Department of Trade and Industry; the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF); the Department of Arts and Culture; KwaZulu-Natal Film Commission and Wesgro also participated through various forums.
 
Diprente’s executive, Isaac Mogajane said the winning was an exciting milestone for their animation studio.
 
“As we are about to begin production on our first animated series, Anansi, having a second show celebrated on the global stage and receive attention from companies such as Disney further validates the international appeal of the content that the company and the country is creating.”
 
Diprente, which has been active since 2009, has produced numerous feature films, television series and branded content campaigns some of which were supported by the dti film incentives. The company has been nominated for two international Emmy awards, has won numerous SAFTAs and is the first South African company to produce a Netflix Original feature film, Catching Feelings. The company has recently launched an animation studio in Johannesburg which will kick off with a globally sold kids’ series, Anansi.

Issued by Department of Trade and Industry