Triggerfish, the animation studio behind Netflix’s first original animated TV series from Africa, yesterday announced it is to establish its first international studio in Galway. The project, supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland, is expected to create 60 new jobs over the next three years.
Founded in 1996, Triggerfish was instrumental in the birth of the South African animation industry, co-founding the country’s official animation association as well as an ongoing monthly screening and networking event.
Triggerfish animated the Oscar-nominated Roald Dahl adaptation Revolting Rhymes as well as Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler adaptations such as the 2020 International Emmy-winning Zog, the 2020 British Animation Awards winner The Snail and the Whale, the BAFTA-nominated and Annecy-winning Stick Man, and the Rose d’Or-winning The Highway Rat, all produced by Magic Light Pictures.
The studio’s first two features, Adventures in Zambezia and Khumba, are among the five highest-grossing South African feature films of all time, with nine million cinema tickets sold globally. This saw Triggerfish named overall Business of the Year in South Africa’s Western Cape province in 2015 - a first for an animation company.
In addition, Triggerfish services AAA-rated and mobile games for the likes of Electronic Arts, Unity and Disney Interactive and is in development on a broad slate of original film and television projects for most of the world’s biggest studios.
Welcoming the news, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys said, "I am delighted to see that Triggerfish have chosen to establish their first international studio in Ireland. Galway will be a natural fit for this creative company. They will join a burgeoning list of award-winning indigenous and foreign animation studios already based here, and will be a great addition to this thriving sector."
IDA Ireland CEO, Martin Shanahan added, "This is a great investment for Ireland and Galway is a great choice of location, given the availability of highly skilled creative talent there. The 60 new roles being created is a welcome boost to the economy of Galway and the West region."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
