JAKANA STUDIO is an Ecuadorian interactive art studio founded in 2020 by Cindy Charvet and Sofía Ojeda, two women entrepreneurs who develop innovative video games and multimedia projects that enhance the traditions, histories and culture of Ecuador, especially the Amazon region.
Jakana is derived from the Kichwa word Hakan, which means bright, to which the letter “A” was added to give it a feminine touch since the founders are two enterprising women who identify with that gender.
“The essence of Jakana is to create innovative products that spread and enhance our origins.”
Awards and Festivals
1st Place in the Pro Category
The Game DevUp Tournament developed by the SEK International University and Robotic Minds, promoted the use of programming for the creation of video games.The theme of the 2022 edition was focused on the transmission of myths and legends of the Ecuador.
One of the prizes was won by the Jakana Studio that participated in the pro category. They made a video game based on a myth of the Waorani people. Its title was ‘Akki and the Tree of Souls’.
Cindy Charvet, creative developer, was in charge of programming this video game; and Sofi Ojeda, multimedia artist, took care of the 2D art and animation part. The game is based on the Waorani legend of the Tree of Souls. This narrates the journey of Akki, a woman who must choose her path to reincarnation. The decisions you make will grant her amulets to awaken the spirit of her guide animal. The jaguar is the strongest animal, in which everyone wants to reincarnate. If the actions in her life were good, there will be a race of its soul against this animal. Charvet and Ojeda gave prominence to women in their digital development, to position gender claims inside and outside that ancestral nationality.
National exhibitor at the international fair Multifest Edition 2022
The UDLA Multimedia and Audiovisual Production career presents the “Multifest” International Fair. A creative space, full of ingenuity, talent and innovation that includes projects in the areas of: animation, audiovisual production, virtual reality, augmented reality and interactivity. This initiative seeks to show the public productions, films, short films and unique interactive projects in the world.
The festival is organized by the UDLA Multimedia and Audiovisual Production career together with the French Alliance of Quito and with the support of the French Institute (Paris), the New Images Festival and the Forum Des Images.
The public will be able to take tours of international projects in countries such as: France, Colombia, Argentina, Paraguay and Ecuador. In addition, 2D academic projects and immersive experiences will be shown, carried out by students of the UDLA Multimedia and Audiovisual Production career, which are inspired by the theme “Heritage and Digital Creation”.
interviews and media
Ecuadorian legends and traditions were transformed into video games
Among the older participants, one of the prizes was won by two girls who made up the group called Jakana and participated in the pro category. They made a video game based on a myth of the Waorani people. Its title was ‘Akki and the Tree of Souls’.
