Digital Lab Africa announces 2020 winners

The winners were released as part of this year’s virtual Annecy International Animated Film Festival. DLA said the winners were selected based on their artistic, technical and financial criteria in the following five key categories: music, immersive realities, video games, animation and digital art.

The winners are as follows:

Music

• Sizo Hlophe (eSwatini) – Antidote Music

Video Game

• Robert Mensah (Nigeria) – Outcome
• Tristan Mocke (South Africa) – Qyn

Animation

• Bokang Koatja (South Africa) – Mannerisms
• Natasha Nayo (Ghana) – Message Beats
• Ridwan Moshood (Nigeria) – In My Hood

Immersive Realities

• Melisa Allela (Kenya) – Sigana: Tales of Lawino
• Joey Ekunwe (Nigeria) – The Slavery of Science

Digital Art

• Lara Sousa (Mozambique) – Katalina/Kalunga/Karonga – Sea Waved Tales

"It's been great knowing the work we do can go on to win among some other talented individuals," the winner in the Music category, Sizo Hlophe, told Music In Africa. "To me it's a manifestation of the work we do at Antidote Music. I look forward to absorbing from all the mentors they have for us."

DLA said: “After receiving 500 applications from 32 countries, we are excited to announce the nice winners of our DLA4 programme. The nine winners will be given a DLA Incubation Pass to fast track the development of their project. Alongside mentorship and training sessions, the DLA winners will also be hosted in planned residencies in the relevant category ecosystems.”