The festival, which lasted five consecutive days, was held in the Media Production City with the attendance of the Egyptian Minister of Media Anas Al Faqi, in addition to a host of Arab artists and media representatives. The festival consisted of three competition categories: radio production, television production and a special award competition. Sketch in Motion received an award in the second category for best animation and clay work.
Nadia Nashashibi, Program Manager at Jordan Radio and Television and head of the Jordanian delegation at the ceremony, received the award.
Airing during the holy month of Ramadan 2008, Nahfat Ailetna depicts various social phenomena present in the Jordanian society in a comic - almost whimsical bouquet that reverberates with honesty and lacks pretense. The issues handled by the rather witty writing are brought to life by the show's apt characters, which consist of five members of a middle-class Jordanian family.
The show consisted of 15 episodes, each running 5 to 6 minutes, craftily broaching interesting aspects of the Jordanian culture specifically and the Arab cultures in general, whilst managing to deliver a strong message every episode.
Zaidoun Karadsheh, the company's Executive Director, voiced his joy at the acknowledgement of the company's efforts, saying:
"Nahfat Ailetna has had a straight and uncompromising journey toward success due to the culmination of the efforts behind it. We have integrated the latest in animation technology into the work, not to mention the attention to detail that was given to the scripts and the issues that were raised in each episode."
Sketch in Motion's Artistry Director Moaiad Zaidan echoed Karadsheh's sentiments, saying:
"It is indeed a great honor, and further proof of the high level our professionalism, particularly that animation remains one of the most difficult arts in the world."
Zaidan expressed gratitude to the awarding committee and the event's organizers for their consideration. He reiterated that the accomplishment could not have been made without the collective efforts of Sketch in Motion's team and their counterparts at Media Plus. He also expressed thanks to Umniah for sponsoring the work.
Tamer Qaraeen, Media Plus's Technical Director, said that series marks a significant take off for professional Jordanian animation, particularly one that meets all tastes and communicates with all layers of society. He added that this will open new door for this art in the Kingdom, allowing it to evolve and spread in time.
Posted by Rana Mesbah
