Jean-Michel Kibushi Ndjate Wooto

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Jean-Michel Kibushi Ndjate Wooto (born 1957 in Lubefu, Democratic Republic of the Congo) is a Congolese stop-motion animator and is widely regarded as a pioneer of African animation—the first known Congolese animator. He grew up in Tshumbe and studied drama and cinematography at Kinshasa’s National Institute of the Arts from 1985 to 1989, where he was introduced to animation by the Belgian company Atelier Graphaoui. In 1988 he founded Studio Malembe Maa, Congo’s first local mobile animation studio.

In 1991 he released Le Crapaud Chez Ses Beaux-Parents (Toad Visits His In-Laws), the first Congolese animated film, a stop-motion adaptation of a Tetela tale. He followed with Septembre Noir (Black September) in 1992, a documentary animation that won Best Animated Political Documentary at Cameras Youth in Belgium in 1994. He also won First Prize for Short Film at the International Festival of Fribourg for Le Crapaud.

Wooto has created several black-and-white animations that won awards. His 2000 piece Muana Mboka earned the Public Award at Festival Plein Sud in France. In 2005 his film Prince Loseno won multiple honors, including the Jury Prize at Plein Sud, a Special Mention Short Film Jury at FESPACO, and the Film Award of Hope COE at FESPACO, as well as a SIGNIS Jury Special Mention at the Milano festival.