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South African filmmakers Jac Hamman and Sarah Scrimgeour have bagged an International Emmy for their outstanding work on the animated Christmas special “Tabby McTat.” The film won the “Best Kids Animation” award at the 52nd International Emmy Awards in New York City.
Based on the bestselling picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The 25-minute animation tells the story of Fred (voiced by Rob Brydon), a busker in London, and his charming cat, Tabby (voiced by Sope Dirisu). The two must navigate the challenges of the tough London streets to find each other after being separated.ho have to find a way back to each other after being separated on the tough streets of London.
This marks the second time Jac and Sarah have directed a BBC animated Christmas special, having previously worked on “Superworm” in 2021. Their win also highlights a continued streak of recognition for South African directors in the Best Kids Animation category. Last year, Daniel Snaddon and Samantha Cutler won the award for “The Smeds and The Smoos,” another adaptation of a Donaldson and Scheffler book.
The success of “Tabby McTat“ is part of a larger trend of African-led animated productions gaining international recognition. Earlier this year, “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire,” a Pan-African anthology series, won Best Limited Series at the Annie Awards. And in February, “Iwaju,” a futuristic animation series set in Lagos and produced by Kugali Studios in partnership with Disney, premiered on Disney+.
Next year, audiences can look forward to “Iyanu,” an animated superhero series based on Yoruba mythology, set to debut on Showmax, Cartoon Network, and Max.
