Claire Louis

Clare is an accomplished animation producer, director, and studio founder based in Durban, South Africa. After completing an MA in Digital Arts (3D Animation) at Witswatersrand University and working as a post-production supervisor, she established Katanimate Animation Studio to drive regional growth. Her studio is currently producing season 1 of the preschool animated series Knittyville for SABC. Committed to mentoring local talent, she has trained graduates through internships since 2018 and taught Durban University of Technology’s inaugural animation course in her efforts to grow animation in Kwazulu-Natal. As an active member of industry organisations like AnimationSA, WGSA and Women in Animation, Clare offers expertise in project creation, animation script analysis, broadcaster pitching and funding acquisition. Her international engagement includes attending several markets – Annecy, Ottawa Animation Festival, ITFS/FMX, and SIGGRAPH, complemented by regular participation at local markets such as CTIAF and Durban FilmMart.