Damilola Solesi is an award-winning Animation Director, Producer, Writer, and the Founder/CEO of SMIDS Animation Studios. Since founding the company in 2010, she has spent over 15 years building one of Africa’s leading animation studios and championing authentic African storytelling.
Her acclaimed works include Hadu, Keko Africa, and Boxed, with Hadu winning eight Best Animation Awards across international film festivals. Her films have screened at major global festivals including IFFR (International Film Festival Rotterdam), FESPACO, NollywoodWeek Paris, the New York International Children’s Film Festival, ANIMAGE Brazil, and CINANIMA Portugal.
Damilola is also the creator of Keko Africa, an educational children’s platform and YouTube series, that teaches African history and culture in fun and engaging ways through animation and storytelling.
Beyond production, Damilola leads creative learning initiatives including Toontopia, SMASH (Smids Animation Showcase), and the SMIDS Animation Summer Camp, which has empowered children through animation and creativity for over a decade.
A recognized global thought leader in animation and the creative industries, Damilola has spoken at international platforms including the Sharjah Animation Conference (UAE), GITEX Global, Entertainment Week Africa, WIMBIZ, and Africa Creative Market. She also served as a Juror for the International Emmy Awards (2020–2022) and was named one of MIPTV’s Producers to Watch in both 2020 and 2022.
Through her work, Damilola is committed to building globally relevant African stories, nurturing creative talent, and shaping the future of animation on the continent.
