Afroanimation’s First In-Person Summit Will Take Place In Burbank April 26-27

Afroanimation has announced that this year’s third edition will be the first to be held in person. It will take place at the Los Angeles Marriot Burbank hotel and convention center in Burbank, California on April 26 and 27.

At this year’s Afroanimation, more than 60 industry speakers will participate, coming from the U.S., U.K., Caribbean, Canada, Nigeria, and South Africa. Discussions will revolve around finding and promoting ways to increase inclusion and representation in the animation industry. Other key advocacy organizations which will participate include ASIFA-Hollywood, American Film Showcase, Women in Animation, and LatinX.

Guests attending this year’s in-person event include Kemp Powers (writer Soul, co-director Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) and Peter Ramsey (Rise of the Guardians, co-director Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse).

Other speakers include Netflix programming managers Grazia Como and Rynae Lewis, Warner Bros. Animation vp of series Stacey Kim, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios talent development specialist Joe Hughes, Super Special founder Amy Niobi, and Studio Smokescreen founder Kris Wimberly.

Highlights of this year’s event include panel discussions on increasing the visibility of women storytellers and storytelling in film, crowdfunding strategies, closing deals with studios and streamers, and navigating a career in animation. In addition to the in-person event, key portions of this year’s Afroanimation will be live-streamed around the world.

The two-day event will culminate in an awards ceremony honoring independent creators from around the world, followed by a networking reception on Thursday evening.

Said Keith White, Afroanimation founder, said in a release: “We created Afroanimation in 2021 to help increase diversity in the animation industry and the response globally has been overwhelming. We’re proud to bring together a global team representing the entertainment industry this year, featuring a dynamic group of speakers, movie studio sponsors, and awardees.”

Rio Cyrus, Afroanimation co-chair, added: “I am delighted by the growth of Afroanimation this year. With the help of our sponsors and studio partners, we are doing our part to build a global animation community that reflects the world at large. This is exactly why we embarked on this mission.”

Key corporate partners in launching the first in-person Afroanimation include Netflix, Dreamworks, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, Sony, WildBrain, Titmouse, Triggerfish, and Disney.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Ramsey and Powers as creators of “Kizazi Moto.”