SA film company partners with Disney on talent search

15 July 2015 - 02:01 By Bobby Jordan

Local film animation company Triggerfish has teamed up with the world's biggest animated film studio, Walt Disney, to hunt for the next big African feature film or TV series. The R44-million project is a massive vote of confidence in the local film industry and a boost for local scriptwriters, who can develop ideas with the best in the business.Selected writers will be given funding to work on their scripts and will travel to the Disney studio in California to meet some of the biggest names in film animation.Successful candidates will be given a two-week mentorship at Disney's headquarters.The talent search was initiated by Triggerfish in collaboration with Disney and the Department of Trade and Industry. It takes the form of a story lab, which launches today in Cape Town.Triggerfish has shot to prominence on the back of two successful animated movies, Khumba and Adventures in Zambezia, which were distributed in 150 countries.Triggerfish chief executive Stuart Forrest said Disney's involvement, both as co-funder and mentor, could help uncover home-grown talent and promote African voices."It is the next level when you're dealing with the biggest animation company in the world," Forrest said."We are trying to find our own voice here in South Africa. We have a continent of talented film-makers who have never had an opportunity like this before."Scripts will be evaluated by industry heavyweights, including Hollywood writer Jonathan Roberts (The Lion King) and British director and co-founder of Aardman Studios Peter Lord (Chicken Run and The Pirates).Walt Disney Africa senior vice-president Christine Service said South Africa was increasingly viewed as a good filming location."It would be amazing to have an African story that could be produced for the world," she said...

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