CANNES, France – Executive Producer Ruth Ojougboh is set to unveil the highly anticipated feature-length animated film “ORAYA” at the Marché du Film during the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The official presentation will take place on May 13, 2026, as part of the Focus on Africa Conference – a dedicated program highlighting the continent’s rising creative industries.
The 90-minute 2.5D animation, produced by award-winning AnimaxFYB Studios (Ghana), is already being positioned as a franchise-ready African intellectual property with global ambitions, drawing stylistic comparisons to Arcane and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
What is ORAYA? Plot and Creative Vision
Set in a futuristic Ghana, ORAYA follows a gifted tech creator who is falsely accused of engineering a global addiction crisis. To clear his name and atone, he must lead a fractured group of pan-African heroes against a covert syndicate that is ruthlessly exploiting Earth’s last sacred energy source.
The film is designed for a global audience aged 16 and above, blending Afrofuturistic world-building with mature, character-driven storytelling. AnimaxFYB Studios describes it as “African-owned IP designed to grow beyond a single release” – a clear signal of franchise ambitions that include sequels, episodic series, and transmedia expansions.
Who Is Ruth Ojougboh? The Executive Producer
Ruth Ojougboh is a creative entrepreneur and passionate advocate for African narratives, specializing in animation and children’s intellectual property for international audiences. Her credentials include:
- Executive producing the Oscar-qualifying short film Blinded by the Lights, which was selected for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and the Pan African Film Festival.
- Contributing to the TAIDO project for Sony Group’s NGO Arc & Beyond, which won three awards in Japan’s anime industry.
Speaking about ORAYA, Ojougboh stated: “This is not just a film. It is African-owned IP designed to grow beyond a single release.”
Cannes 2026 Debut: A Strategic Market Move
The presentation at the Marché du Film is not a simple screening – it is a targeted industry pitch aimed at attracting international distributors, co-production partners, and equity financiers. The film is currently in early development and will be actively seeking funding and distribution deals at the world’s largest film market.
Event details at a glance:
| Event | ORAYA official presentation |
| Where | Marché du Film – Focus on Africa Conference, Cannes, France |
| Date | May 13, 2026 |
| Presented by | Executive Producer Ruth Ojougboh |
| In partnership with | Nigerian International Film Summit (NIFS) |
The unveiling is part of the official delegation of the Nigerian International Film Summit (NIFS), a platform driving structured African participation in global film markets. This collaboration underscores a strategic shift toward building export-ready African intellectual property.
AnimaxFYB Studios: Proven Credibility
AnimaxFYB Studios is not new to international recognition. The Ghana-based studio has previously been selected at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival – the world’s premier animation festival – and won Best Animation at the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).
The studio’s founder and creative director, Francis Yushau Brown, emphasized the project’s global standards: “We are building original African stories with the structure and ambition to compete globally.”
At Cannes, the studio will hold private meetings with a select group of international distributors, co-production partners, and equity financiers for ORAYA.
Why ORAYA Matters: The Bigger Picture
The presentation of ORAYA comes at a moment of surging global interest in African animation and Afrofuturism. However, most major projects have relied on external financing and distribution. ORAYA is being built from the ground up as African-owned IP with a clear franchise roadmap – a model that could reshape how the continent’s stories reach global audiences.
The Focus on Africa Conference at the Marché du Film provides the ideal platform, bringing together African and international industry leaders to discuss financing, co-production, and distribution. ORAYA is one of the flagship projects being showcased.
How to Follow ORAYA
- Official presentation: May 13, 2026 – Marché du Film, Cannes (invitation-only for industry badge holders)
- Production company: AnimaxFYB Studios (Ghana)
- Executive Producer: Ruth Ojougboh
- Genre: 2.5D animated feature / Afrofuturistic action-drama
- Target audience: 16+
- Status: Early development – seeking financing, co-production, and distribution partners
For updates, follow AnimaxFYB Studios and the Nigerian International Film Summit’s official channels.