CANIMAF FESTIVAL

The Festival of African Animation Cinema of Cameroon (CANIMAF): A Pillar of African Animation

Since its inception in 2017, the Festival of African Animation Cinema of Cameroon (CANIMAF) has established itself as a major cultural event and a catalyst for African animation. Conceived at a time when African animation was tentatively emerging on the global stage, CANIMAF was born out of the desire to fill a gap in the continent's cinematic landscape by providing a platform dedicated to promoting and celebrating African animated talent.

Creation Context:

At the time of its creation, African animation faced numerous challenges, including a lack of visibility and institutional support. African animated artists often struggled to gain recognition for their work and access resources and development opportunities. In this context, CANIMAF was born from the desire to create an inclusive and dynamic space where African professionals and others could meet, exchange ideas, and collaborate, and where their works could be celebrated and showcased to a broader audience.

Objectives
The African Animation Cinema (CANIMAF) is a festival dedicated to the animation genre in all its forms and variations. As the main cultural event in Cameroon that honors animated works, their directors, and producers, it has set several goals to achieve over time, including:

Providing a platform for expression and distribution for African directors and producers in particular, but also for others worldwide.
Offering an artistic and cultural proposition for the African and especially Cameroonian public.

- Discovering new talents.

- Stimulating the development of Cameroonian animation and the gradual establishment of an industry encompassing all links in the production chain.

- Creating a database of professionals, production studios, schools, and other training institutions.

- Highlighting creations from the "Jeun'anim" project, which focuses on producing animated films in schools.

- Establishing a creation support system: scholarships, grants, script readings, project competitions, connecting project leaders with funders.

- Signing partnerships with international festivals.

- Becoming one of the key hubs for animation cinema in Africa.