Artist Animators Announced for FLAMIN Animations 2024-2025
Skwigly
Now in its fourth year, FLAMIN Animations is a commissioning programme for early-career Black artist animators living in the UK. Launched in 2021, the programme aims to support artist animators as they take their first steps into a career working with the moving image, with development support and funding for a new short animated film. This year Film London is delighted to partner with award-winning animation studio Blinkink, providing bespoke support to the selected animators.
L to R 1st row: Caroline James, Aliyah Harfoot, 2nd row: Jess Stephens, Faye Craig (Image: Film London)
The selected FLAMIN Animators 2024-25 are:
- Faye Craig
- Aliyah Harfoot
- Caroline James
- Jess Stephens
FLAMIN Animations is run by Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN), which supports artist animators as they develop a career working with the moving image. The programme responds to the underrepresentation of Black artists within the art, film, and animation industries, and is part of Film London’s commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.
Blinkink is an award-winning production studio that creates short-form video content for the advertising, music, gaming, and fashion industries. They have worked with some of the world’s biggest commercial brands, including Loewe, Nike, Amazon Music, and Spotify, as well as musical artists like Elton John, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Drake, and Iron Maiden. Their long-form division has also produced content for major platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. Alongside the FLAMIN team, the studio will provide focused support to selected animators through the development and production process, equipping them with the skills to develop a career in the industry.
Previous FLAMIN Animators have shown work at festivals including London International Animation Festival, B3 Biennial of the Moving Image (Frankfurt), and Edinburgh International Film Festival. Alumni from the scheme have received accolades including the prestigious Margaret Tait Commission from LUX Scotland, and had work showcased as part of the CIRCA Prize on public screens around the world. Each year, the new commissions have been showcased in London in partnership with The New Black Film Collective at TNB XPO, an event celebrating Black excellence in the screen industries.
Gisela Mulindwa, FLAMIN Animator 2023, said:
FLAMIN Animations has enabled me to deeply explore themes that are important to me without judgement. I was free to experiment while refining the techniques that excite me in animation, and support from FLAMIN gave me the opportunity to work with archives, which was a really interesting new experience for me. Having the space to discuss my ideas with the FLAMIN team helped me to push the film further and develop my practice – I am excited to see where I can take it next!
As well as receiving £3,000 to create a new 2-3 minute animation, each artist will participate in a bespoke workshop programme with Film London’s FLAMIN Team, Blinkink and animation professionals in the art and film industries.
Adrian Wootton, OBE, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission, said:
We’re thrilled to announce the artists selected for this year’s FLAMIN Animations programme. The scheme is continuing to champion underrepresented talent with an exciting new group of animators, who this year will receive the inspirational support of Blinkink to realise their creative visions and build the foundations for a career in the industry. We’re more excited than ever to see this year’s commissions develop, and hope that FLAMIN Animations will continue to support a network of emerging Black artists in the animation sector.
Josef Byrne, Executive Producer, Blinkink, said:
We’re incredibly proud of the opportunity to contribute to FLAMIN Animations, an outstanding Film London initiative that champions diversity and equity within the animation industry. We can’t wait to see the finished films from this year’s cohort.
To find out more about FLAMIN Animations, visit filmlondon.org.uk