He is a multiple award-winning Ghanaian animator and film director and together with his team, AnimaxFYB, they have made history with their Amazon Prime deal.
As technology continues to lead the global conversation for growth, it has also created several opportunities for creatives in every nook and cranny. The 30 million population of Ghana is not exempted from the great opportunities technology is offering the world.
Francis and his studio’s big break into the global entertainment industry is an achievement worthy of celebration bringing into the leagues of Disney, Pixar and Sony.
Speaking to DW Television on how his online educational platform, ‘Mmbofra’ which translates to means children in the Akan language caught the eyes of executives of the paid subscription program, the proud animator called it a ‘big deal’.
“It was a big deal for me because this is the first time an African has got such a big platform for an independent content being produced and hence is a big deal for the entire African continent,” Brown revealed.
The educational website is aimed at children from the ages of two to fourteen and is created with African concepts which is a big push for diversity especially in the games and animations category.
Founded in 2015 by Francis Yushau Brown, an alumnus of the National Film and Television Institute, the company currently has ten employees on its payroll despite the lack of state support or funds from private investors.
According to AnimaxFYB, it sees the world from an African perspective and seeks to promote the African culture most importantly through their work.
An African fan of the platform who spoke to DW on the reason behind her interest in the platform said most programs factored the culture of the African child and allowed them to understand their environment as Africans.
This is not the first time the Ghanaian animator is making the news for chalking a feat, in 2015, his directorial debut Agorkoli” – a Ghanaian animated film produced by National Film and Television Institute was the first-ever Ghanaian film to enter Oscars.
The animated film was shortlisted for the Student Academy Awards in 2015; an extension of the Academy Awards.
Francis Y Brown hopes that this Animation studio would one-day close ranks with the leading United States Studios.
