Cabbie Chronicles takes Caribbean animation award

Friday, December 10, 2010

If you've ever thought that your daily commute deserved to be on film, you are not alone. Cabbie Chronicles, a Jamaican animated feature which takes a light-hearted look at a taxi driver's day, recently won the D.E.W Best Caribbean Animation Award in Port of Spain Trinidad.

Produced by the Jamaican Team of Alison Tabois Latchman (writer), Marlo Scott (illustrator) and Anieph Latchman (animator), Cabbie Chronicles came out on top at the ninth instalment of the Animae Caribe New Media and Animation Festival.

The four-day festival holds screenings of the various entries and hosts workshops with noted animators and media professionals including Oscar nominated animator Bill Plympton and Kyle Baker of Phineas and Ferb fame, who were also part of the judging panel.

The infectious humour of Cabbie Chronicles garnered the award named after the late Trinidadian master cartoonist Dunstan E Williams. The director and founder of the festival, Camille Selvon Abrahams said "We have seen an increase in regional submissions and also attendance at this years festival, with participation from Aruba, St Lucia, Guyana, Barbados, Bahamas and Jamaica. I am most excited at the choice of Cabbie Chronicles for the D.E.W. Best Caribbean Animation, Alison and her team have made Jamaica and the region proud. It is a testament that this is truly a platform to promote regional animation."

Since uploading the clip to YouTube and Facebook, the team has been receiving positive feedback and plan to expand it to a full series. "We all get so excited when a Jamaican film hits the screens so it's good to see that same kind of interest in our animation effort" says Anieph Latchman.

Anieph Latchman and Scott are both past students of the Edna Manley College School of Visual Arts, while Alison Latchmen received her training in the Performing Arts in London, England.