The third edition of the KingstOOn Animation Conference and Afro Descendant Film Festival announced the winners of its eight competition categories on Monday. After sifting through more than 1,800 entries from 105 countries, a spunky adventure story from Kenia Mattis and ListenMi Caribbean was awarded the coveted Best Concept prize in the Emerging Animated Content Competition. The prize bundle included a trophy, certificate, hardware and software from sponsors Wacom, TV Paint and Toon Boom — and a trip to MIP Junior in France this October to pitch their project.
The Adventures of Kam Kam – Space Explorer tells the tale of a headstrong little Jamaican girl who wants to become a space explorer and go where no one has ever gone before. According to the team’s pitch document, Kam Kam’s “…boundless imagination propels her and Glow Juice – her favorite fishy squishy toy – into the most ‘intergalacticosmic’ adventures.” Mattis noted that her muse for the character was in fact her sister, as their mother Deon Mattis later confirmed. In her acceptance speech, Mattis pointedly thanked her mother for empowering her journey, and all parents who allow their children to explore this unconventional career path.
Kam Kam emerged victorious over a strong pool of competitors who spent two intense days in a boot camp on the Utech campus, coached by local, regional and international industry heavyweights: Coordinator Camille Selvon Abrahams (Director, Animae Caribe), Raquel Benitez (CEO, Comet Entertainment), Carlos Biern (Business Development Consultant – Office of the Prime Minister, Jamaica), D’Oyen Williams (Program Manager, Digital Skills, SlashRoots Foundation) and Chara Hunter (Snr. Producer, Big Studios Inc.). The final challenge was a pitch before a live audience under the scrutiny of a panel of international judges.
Just before the awards ceremony was the final round of the Wacom Cintiq Showdown – a contest open to all visitors to hardware manufacturer’s booth. Using the Wacom Cintiq Pro, contestants use their imaginations to interpret and draw their best representation of a randomly generated three-word phrase. Sixteen semi-finalists were selected, from which four finalists participated in the finals with their artistic representation of the phrase “seductively singing siren.” Topping the field was experienced animator and multi-KingstOOn awardee George Hay, who walked away with his own Wacom Cintiq Pro.
The 2019 KingstOOn winners are:
KingstOOn International Animated Film Competition
Special Effects
Winner: Simulating Alice – Emmanuel Mozu (U.S.A.)
2nd Place: Wonderful World – Josephine Ross (Germany)
Student Film
Winner: Boy in the Mask – Lwazi Msipha (South Africa)
2nd Place: Knight Gym – Francois Heiser (France)
Short Film
Winner: Midnight Story – Peter Chanthanakone (Thailand)
2nd Place: Belly Flop – Jeremy Collins (South Africa)
Feature Film
Winner: Minga and the Broken Spoon – Claye Edou (Cameroon)
2nd Place: There were no other qualified finalists
KingstOOn Emerging Animated Content Competition
Storyboard
Winner: Spectacular Specs – Gashwayne Hudson (Jamaica)
2nd Place: Toy with My Heart – Rajendra Ramkallawan (Trinidad & Tobago)
Character Design
Winner: Gabby Duppy Conqueror – Danielle Parchment (Jamaica)
2nd Place: Spectacular Specs – Gashwayne Hudson (Jamaica)
Caribbean Short Film
Winner: The Flight – Alain Bidard (Martinique)
2nd Place: Agwe – Tanya Batson-Savage (Jamaica)
Concept
Winner: The Adventures of Kam Kam – Space Explorer – Kenia Mattis (Jamaica)
2nd Place (TIED): Lab Rats – George Hay (Jamaica) | Spectacular Specs – Gashwayne Hudson (Jamaica)
KingstOOn is a collaborative effort between Jamaica and the World Bank to stimulate
animation activity to boost youth employment. The event is co-created with leading Jamaican universities and training programs, including the University of Technology Jamaica, University of the West Indies (Mona), Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, Media training Institute (MTI), Excelsior Community College and the Mico University College, HEART Trust -National Training Agency and the Vocational Training and Development Institute (VTDI).
KingstOOn 3 was sponsored by Wacom, Toon Boom, TV Paint, FLOW Jamaica, ESIROM, JamVision, Television Jamaica, Creative Production & Training Centre (CPTC), Mico University College, Media Training Institute (MTI), Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Caribbean Export Development Agency, the Gleaner Company, Capilano University (Canada), Intcomex Jamaica, Champion Spring Water, JABLUM coffee, Likkle Tea, and umbrella organisation, Jamaica Animation Nation Network (JANN).
