Kenya film industry is going through a turning point: the transition from analogue to digital signal being currently implemented, it is estimated that 100 new channels will come to the market in 2016.

Furthermore, channels will be required to meet up 40% local content quotas by 2016 and 60% by 2018. As a consequence, there are now greater opportunities for local artistes to fill the newly created gap as well as for Kenya to narrate its own stories. As an example, a channel like Gulli (Lagardère group), specifically targeting Africa, is currently

looking for 40% African animations.

As a matter of fact, France is the number one country in Animation professional training: major studios like Pixar or Disney mostly hire French animators, even the well-known “Minions” are French.

For those reasons, France and Kenya decided to partner and set up the first Bachelor’s degree curriculum of animation in Kenya. This initiative was carried on by the French-based training school for film animation (EMCA – Angoulême) and the United States International University-Africa, which will be hosting the new school of animation on its campus.

The Ambassador of France to Kenya, Rémi Maréchaux, alongside with Prof. Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, will officially introduce this new curriculum to the public at the Alliance Française of Nairobi, on February 10th, from 2 to 4pm.