Born on the Côte d'Azur, Michel Ocelot grew up in Guinea and returned to France to pursue his studies. He studied art before turning to film animation. Since his start, he has done his own scripts and artwork. He made several industrial films, series and shorts, which brought him to the attention of the festival circuit and the industry (he served as president for six years of the International Film Animation Association). He enjoyed international success with his first feature, Kirikou and the Sorceress, an African tale. This was followed by Princes and Princesses. Kirikou et les bêtes Sauvages his last feature film was released in 2005.