To start the day at Kaboom Camp on an inspiring note, we have invited award-winning British director and writer Sophie Koko Gate, who also created the electrifying poster for Kaboom Animation Festival. Sophie will discuss finding her voice as a filmmaker and writer, her main influences and attitude towards the medium, and the balance of working commercially and independently in the animation industry.  

Sophie Koko Gate is a writer and animation director from Bath, England. Her graduation film Half Wet (2014) screened at festivals worldwide including SXSW, BFI, AFI, and Tate Modern. She has made short films for Hulu, FX, Adult Swim, MTV, BBC and BFI. Her animation Slug Life (2018) screened at Sundance and won awards at SXSW, Ottawa and GLAS Animation festival. Her short Hotel Kalura (2021) was screened on Hulu and won awards at Ottawa and Indie Lisboa. She has curated animation for Adult Swim’s Off the Air program entitled Moon and Eternal Family’s monthly program. She has also directed the development of a feature film for Cartoon Network and worked on her own animated TV series with Sony Pictures Animation and Adult Swim.

Moderator: Anna Eijsbouts.

This program screened as part of Kaboom Animation Festival 2025