Empowering voices through animation: Gobelins pitch day brings Bouba & Zaza stories to life

After careful deliberation, the jury announced "Zaza and the Fish" as the winning pitch, citing its strong script, emotional depth, and faithful delivery of UNESCO's educational goals. However staying true to the collaborative ethos of the programme, the jury and project partners extended an invitation to both teams to merge their talents for the production phase. As Clement Lafon from Michel Lafon Éducation put it: " We saw such promise in both presentations. This isn't about one idea winning over the other, it's about combining strengths to create something extraordinary."

Loretta Okoh, Founder and Producer at Luno Pictures added:
" Serving as a jury member on pitch day was a proud moment for me - as the founder of ASAP, involved in this seven-week pre-development journey with Gobelins, supported by UNESCO and Michel Lafon Éducation. The students not only grasped the heart of Bouba & Zaza-they reimagined it. I'm thrilled to be continuing this creative journey with them, from development through to production ."

The ASAP initiative represents a unique convergence of educational and development impact. By embedding real-world projects into the Gobelins curriculum and fostering partnerships with African animation hubs, the programme offers participants not just training but a springboard into the global creative economy. It aims to equip interns from Europe and Africa with professional portfolios, while producing culturally relevant, multilingual edutainment content designed to reach children all around the world.

Cécile Blondel, Head of International Relations at Gobelins, added:
"This partnership with UNESCO, Michel Lafon Éducation and Luno Pictures offered our students an unparalleled opportunity to work on a real-world brief with global impact. Their commitment, cultural sensitivity, and artistic excellence demonstrate the vital role creative education can play in shaping a more inclusive and informed world."