GOBELINS and Netflix announced a new partnership to support equal opportunities in animation.
The Netflix Animation Fellowship will enable one GOBELINS graduate each year to work directly alongside animation experts in Japan developing Netflix original Anime titles. This post-graduate program will help deepen both the technical and creative skills of the recipient. Claire Matz from France, who started at GOBELINS in 2015, is the first winner of this new Fellowship.
In addition, Netflix is funding scholarships for up to ten students a year over four years from the African continent to study at GOBELINS as part of their Master of Arts in Character Animation and Animated Filmmaking Program. The first recipients of the Character Animation Scholarship Program will be named in September 2019.
“We care deeply about helping to promote equal opportunities in the animation industry and we want to ensure that financial constraints don’t act as a brake for students. We’re excited to work with Netflix to support upcoming talent in animation from diverse backgrounds and cultures,” commented Nathalie Berriat, director of GOBELINS.
“At Netflix, we are excited to support emerging animation talent in countries like France and Japan, as well as within the African continent. By helping students attend a world famous institution such as GOBELINS, we hope to contribute to the growth of their careers and increase diversity across the industry,” said Melissa Cobb, vice president of original animation at Netflix.
“We want to give talented young animators from around the world an opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture of Japanese anime and contribute their skill and passion to this globally beloved art form,” added John Derderian, who oversees Netflix’s anime programming efforts out of Japan. “Claire Matz is the trailblazer for this initiative and we look forward to her collaboration with the extraordinary teams of animators and artists working in Japan on our upcoming slate of Netflix originals.”
“My childhood was inspired by Japanese manga and anime like the Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion series. So I am excited to start my professional career in a country whose rich culture and long history in animation production I love,” said Claire Matz.
Netflix supports animation in all forms. Its growing slate of animated content includes global anime hits such as Devilman Crybaby, Aggretsuko, and Ultraman; acclaimed adult animated series BoJack Horseman, Big Mouth, and Disenchantment; and animated feature films Pachamama from director Juan Antin, Klaus from director Sergio Pablos and SPA Studios, and the recently acquired I Lost My Body from director Jérémy Clapin and Xilam Animation. We have a robust lineup of original animated series for kids by creators from all over the world, including Mighty Little Bheem from India’s Green Gold Animation, Larva Island from Korean animation studio TUBAn, YooHoo to the Rescue from Korea’s Aurora World, the upcoming Dino Girl Gauko from Japanese creator Akira Shigino, Mama K’s Team 4 from Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema, and Maya and the Three from Mexican creator Jorge Gutierrez.
