This past week, South African directors Jac Hamman and Sarah Scrimgeour made history as their film, Tabby McTat, won the International Emmy for Kids: Animation. Adapted from the bestselling Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler picture book, the BBC Christmas special was up against Mystery Lane, Sharkdog and Wake Up, Carlo!
SA Directors Shine as Tabby McTat Wins International Emmy for Kids: Animation
Hamman and Scringeour’s win marks the second consecutive win for South African directors in the category as Donaldson-Scheffler adaptation, The Smeds and The Smoos, directed by SA’s Daniel Snaddon and Samantha Cutler, won last year.
“Growing up you always dream of winning one of these awards but it seems so impossible,” says Hamman. “You don’t imagine as a South African you can reach that level so it feels great to win after all the hard work. We’re very proud of the team.”
While the pair were unable to attend the International Emmys in New York, they do hope that their film will continue its award streak,
“Being on the other side of the world and being busy with other things, it just makes it a little bit more difficult to get to these big events,” says Scringeour, “It would have been wonderful but hopefully Tabby will be on the awards circuit for a little bit longer and maybe there’s still a chance for us to go to one or two more.”
Meet Tabby McTat
Currently streaming on Showmax, the 25-minute short film Tabby McTat follows the heartwarming friendship between a musical cat and a talented busker called Fred. One day, Fred is injured and whisked away in an ambulance, raising the question of what will become of Tabby, alone on the streets of London?
Premiering on BBC One on Christmas Day 2023, Tabby McTat attracted over 8.6 million viewers, becoming the most-watched animated feature in the UK that festive season. Hailed as “heartwarming” and “pretty much purrfect,” the film balances adventure, laughs, and emotional depth.
“I used to love busking with my husband Malcolm when we were living in Bristol, and also in Paris,” says Julia Donaldson, who co-created the story. “We also both love cats – in fact – we’ve just acquired two new kittens named Tabitha and McTat. So this story is really close to my heart and combines two of my passions: singing, and cats!”
Scringeour, who’s been known to sing to her cats, found that she couldn’t say no to the project: “I adore cats, and this is a story about a musical cat. Honestly, how could I resist?”
But for Jac Hamman, it was more about the book’s message.
“It felt like it was quite a mature message, about how you can grow apart from a friend, and how relationships change, and about a child having to leave their parents’ home to start their own family.”
“It’s very moving and I was excited to see how we could turn that into a film and push those emotions. I liked the idea of a parent watching the film with their child and that they might just pull them in and squeeze them all the tighter because of those themes about the temporariness of relationships and how they change.”
Watch the trailer
Tabby McTat stars BAFTA nominees Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey) and Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísú (Gangs of London) as Fred and Tabby, with Critics Choice Super nominee Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) as the narrator.
Stream it now: Showmax
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