Somto Ajuluchukwu (Lagos, 1991) is an award winning, emerging Animation Film Director, Producer & Executive. Also founder of Vortex Corp a creative content company keen on exporting African culture. He began his professional career as a filmmaker in 2014 after founding Vortex Studios an animation and comic book company where he Directed his first short animated film in 2016 called Town Crier, and has since then produced & Directed Orange City (2019) which traveled across 26 countries in 4 continents and most recently GLYCH (2022) which served as opening film at the RENDACON ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL (2022) Lagos, Nigeria.

Somto has directed and produced multiple animated music videos for Afrobeat stars such (REMA, WIZKID) and International acts (BRENT FAIYAZ and WALSHY FIRE – Major Lazer). In 2017 his comic-book character published by Vortex Comics Strike Guard was listed 15 most influential black superheroes in the world by CBR (Comic Book Resources) and later produced as a 6 minute animated short film featured on VICE & Design Indaba in 2017.

In late 2017 he launched C3 Africa (Creative Content Conference) Nigerias first content market serving as a meeting point for international companies discovering and buying Nigerian content, this expanded to the Accra for its second edition in August 2018, and has become a blueprint of B2B events connecting the local entertainment industry to international stakeholders. In October 2018, African International Film Festival Appointed him Coordinator Animation programmes where he served for 1 year. In 2021 Somto won his first animation film award at the NAICCON Film Festival. Nairobi, Kenya (Best Animation, 2021) and his 2nd award at the Afrocomic Con Film Festival. Los Angeles, USA (Best Animation, 2022). Somto Ajuluchukwu is based in Lagos, Nairobi & Accra.

Jesimiel Bello (2001) is a Nigerian self-taught animator with 4 years experience. Jesimiel garnered recognition from a Netflix-branded production, leading to his appointment as a lead visual effects artist and 3D generalist in 2021. Inspired by his personal project “Amina,” Jesimiel and his partner established “Soul Vision Studio” in 2023.

“Amina,” premiered in December 2022, achieved remarkable success, amassing a total of 30 thousand views and resonating with audiences worldwide. Jesimiel also directed an animated short film “Haske,” in 2023 which was screened in more than six festivals globally. “Haske” has not only showcased his creative prowess but has also earned acclaim on the international stage

Olaniyan Odunayo Christiana is an internationally published illustrator from Nigeria. With over three years of experience, she brings stories to life through her captivating illustrations. Currently studying Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Benin, she continues to expand her artistic knowledge.

Her passion for drawing dates back to her childhood, and she particularly enjoys infusing her works with vibrant colours. With a dream of becoming an animator, Olaniyan aspires to see her characters come to life. Her illustrations reflect her unique style and ability to evoke emotions and tell compelling narratives.

Dafe Edesiri (1999) studied Film Arts at the National Film Institute, Jos. He started out scoring and doing sound design for student films, as well as storyboards. His first feature film was “Rukkaya” (2022) and he has scored many short films, feature films, series and a couple of animations. Dafe also has music production credits and audio engineer credits on several Albums, EPs and singles.

In 2022, he co-founded Soul Vision Studio with his friend and secondary school mate Jesimiel Bello, they went on to make “Haske”, an animated short film that screened at AFRIFF and AVIJOZI. Dafe is currently collaborating on a few feature films and music projects.

Ekene Nwonye (1992) studied Graphic design at the University of Lagos (NIG) & cinematography
at Cine Fabrique (FR). Ever since then he has been working on comics and animated
films, representing Vortex Studios as its creative director and an animation producer.
Vortex studios is a sister company to Vortex Corp Nigeria, an organization focused on
exporting African content to a global audience through mediums such as graphic novels,
comic books, 2D/3D animation and interactive media.

Eucharia Wanogho (1995) studied Geography and Regional planning at the University of Benin, Nigeria. Her creative journey commenced in 2016 as a fashion illustrator, where she skilfully transitioned into Digital Illustration.

In 2019, Eucharia brought her artistic talents to Comic Republic, making significant contributions as a Comic Colourist. Her dedication and proficiency in her craft were recognised in 2023 when she received the prestigious Comic Colorist of the Year award at Comic-Con Ibadan, Nigeria.

Beyond comics, Eucharia’s artistic prowess extends to freelance work as a digital artist. She has successfully collaborated on numerous projects, including illustrations for children’s books, e-learning materials, and character design and concept art. She had the honour of working with renowned Muralist Cera Cerni, and in 2022, several of her captivating artworks found a place in the Disruptors Series 1 magazine.

Currently serving as the Head of Projects and Procurement at Comic Republic, Eucharia remains a trailblazing force as a Comic Colourist in Nigeria. Her multifaceted talents and leadership role underscore her commitment to the vibrant world of comics and the broader artistic community.

Blessing Ossom (1997) studied Business Administration at Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic. As a professional digital artist since 2017, she has worked on several book illustrations, character designs for animated movie projects and comics. She’s worked with NABU in 2023 to create story driven and vibrant illustrations for multilingual children’s books. In 2021, her works were featured in “Exploring all I can do: Hockey”. She’s presently working on her own comic book “Project Ekemini”.

David Yusuf (2000) has been working on comics and animation since he graduated from highschool, then in the art industry, worked at Spoof Animation, currently at Vortex (2023) where he worked on Kenya’s bestseller comic book THE UNDOING.

Sanni Mujeeb Jonathan, known in the art community as “Esemjay,” is a final-year student of the University of Benin, specialising in Fine and Applied Art. His artistic journey began long before entering university, but it was in 2015 that he transitioned into professional artistry.

Throughout his academic pursuit, Jonathan has honed his skills and dedicated his efforts to various roles within several creative studios. Notable collaborations include his work with Love-world Media and Art Department, Raptures Entertainment, VX Corp, and Comic Republic, where he has served as a creative artist, concept artist, art consultant, illustrator and 2D animator. Notably, he held the position of Head 2D Animator at Spoof Animation from 2016 to 2019, leading a team of animators in producing titles like Area Daddy, Roli Tales, Fatima Knows All, and Hero Corp, among others.

Esemjay’s mission extends beyond personal artistic expression; he aims to help people bring concepts, stories and ideas to fruition, inspiring others to find joy in practicing art. His vision goes even further, aspiring to contribute to the growth of the Nigerian art community, fostering its development into a global industry. Through his multifaceted roles and passion for creativity, Esemjay continues to make impactful strides in the world of art.

Merel Barends (1980) is a comic artist and illustrator. Her work has been published by several renowned publishing houses like De Bezige Bij, Uitgeverij Atlas/Contact and Uitgeverij Podium. She did commissions for a wide range of clients, such as IDFA, Vrij Nederland Magazine, Mindshakes (NRC Media), OneWorld, Amsterdam Young Academy, CPNB and Greenpeace.

Barends participates regularly in artistic group projects. Her work was exhibited both in the Netherlands and internationally, including in Burundi (1 Femme, 6 Humeurs), Tunisia  (correspondents.org) and the Czech Republic (De Inktpot). At an earlier edition of Cross Comix, she curated the exhibit-in-the-dark ‘Stripped! – A pretty dark room’, where she invited 20 female comic artists to create work inspired by Nietzsche (and his influence). 

Barends is an editor of graphic journalism platform Drawing the Times. As a graphic journalist, she found an international audience and her journalistic comics were published in Dutch, English and Arabic. She’s also part of the Medifoor team, an initiative by medical professionals to visualize complex diagnoses and treatments in a patient-friendly way.

Since 2017, together with writer/producer Jantiene de Kroon, Barends has been working on Oranova, a transmedial world building project. Within this arena, she examines new methods of storytelling, always with her own drawing style as a starting point. She developed motion comics (a mix between comic and animation) and directed an animated VR-experience, Oranova Night Market. The latter had its world premiere at Kaboom Festival, and won the second prize in the New Frontiers Competition at Future Film Fest in Bologna. 

In 2023 Barends developed a theatrical VR-performance with fusion band Zettai, Fight Your Inner Demons, which is still on tour.At the moment, she’s also working as an art director and designer on Lagos, Home For All, an XR-collab with Nigerian animators and comic artists.

Jantiene de Kroon is an Amsterdam based writer and animation producer and co-owner of animation studio Mooves. She has made several animated shorts, a.o. Mortel (2006), Bridge (2010), Aurora (2012), Camouflage (2021) and Four Chambers to the Heart (2023) and she has published short stories in various magazines. Jantiene obtained a BA in creative writing in 2003 and was one of the selected writing talents attending Binger Writers’ Lab in 2009. In 2010/11 she worked as an Artist-in-Residence at Ashkal Alwan in Beirut, Lebanon. In 2013 she attended Nisi Masa’s European Short Pitch.

Jantiene has hosted many meetings and masterclasses for upcoming animators, scriptwriters and worked as a talent coach and story consultant. She currently works on various projects within the immersive story-world Oranova in cooperation with VR-artist Merel Barends and is writing the script for feature animation Marbelles Bloom. Jantiene is a board member of Kaboom Animation Festival.

Remco Polman (1969) studied Philosophy and Political Science at the University of Nijmegen (NL). In 2006 he debuted as a director with the award-winning film Mortel (which was the Dutch entry for the Academy Awards). In 2010 Remco co-directed the animated short Dirkjan Rules with Wilfred Ottenheijm, in 2011 he spent working as a storyboard artist in Beirut (Lebanon) and in 2012 he co-directed Aimee de Jongh’s short Aurora. In 2012, he initiated the comic book series Floris van Dondermonde, for which he won the Dutch comic book award in 2015 and received another nomination in 2023. In 2018, Remco was supervising animator for the Dutch animated feature Heinz.

In 2021 he finished his animated short Camouflage, which is currently touring the festivals. Camouflage was selected for 75+ film festivals world wide and has won 10 awards and 9 nominations so far, including the Nancy Award at Kaboom Animation Festival, Best Animation at Tbilisi International Animation Festival and a Gouden Kalf nomination (Dutch Film Award). Remco is currently developing a feature animation Marbelles Bloom with Jantiene de Kroon for Family Affair Films. Remco is a co-owner of animation studio Mooves.