Creators from Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt will bring their unique visions to audiences around the world with Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, a Disney+ Original 10-part collection of premium original films set to premiere exclusively on Disney+ in late 2022.
This animated anthology brings together a new wave of animation stars to take you on a wildly entertaining ride into Africa’s future. Inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures, these action-packed sci-fi and fantasy stories present bold visions of advanced technology, aliens, spirits and monsters imagined from uniquely African perspectives.
“We are bringing the work of a visionary new generation of African filmmakers to Disney+. In addition to delivering thrilling animation for fans of all ages, this collection of ten original films taps into the Afrofuturism phenomenon which was turbo-charged by Marvel’s Black Panther and reflects Disney’s ongoing commitment to partnering with leading global talent to tell the stories of the world from fresh and authentic points of view,” commented Michael Paull, President, Disney+ and ESPN+, The Walt Disney Company.
Oscar-winning director Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse) will serve as executive producer for the anthology, with Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston as supervising producers. Triggerfish will be the lead studio for the anthology, working in collaboration with animation studios across the continent and globally.
“‘Kizazi Moto’ derives from the Swahili phrase ‘kizazi cha moto,’ which literally translates as ‘fire generation’, capturing the passion, innovation and excitement this new cohort of African filmmakers is ready to bring to the world,” explained Nyeke, Supervising Producer at Triggerfish. “‘Moto’ also means fire in several other African languages, from Rwanda’s Kinyarwanda to Shona, a Zimbabwean language, speaking to the pan-African spirit we hope this anthology embodies.”
Ramsey added, “I’m really pleased to part of a ground-breaking, fresh and exciting project that’s aimed at exposing the world to a whole new wave of creativity and invention from a place that is just ready to explode onto the world animation scene. The films in the anthology kind of run the gamut when it comes to science fiction. There are stories that touch on other worlds, time travel, and alien beings, but all of these genre conventions are seen through an African lens that makes them totally new. I can’t wait for people to have their minds blown and say ‘I want more!'”
More than 70 leading directors and creators across the continent were invited to pitch their ideas, after a multi-year research phase that included input from Ghanian comic book blogger Kadi Tay, award-winning Congolese animation supervisor Sidney Kimbo-Kintombo (Avengers: Endgame) and Namibian-South African producer Bridget Pickering (Hotel Rwanda).
The process was curated and produced by the team at Triggerfish, including Nyeke, Silverston (Head of Development) and Kevin Kriedemann, who proposed the initial idea for the anthology. 15 shortlisted projects were mentored by Academy Award-winning director Ramsey and the creative teams from Triggerfish and Disney.
Each film will be roughly ten minutes long, and together will comprise a feature-length anthology of original animation that will be released as a Disney+ Original across the globe. The final 10 films are from:
- Ahmed Teilab (Egypt)
- Simangaliso ‘Panda’ Sibaya and Malcolm Wope (South Africa)
- Terence Maluleke and Isaac Mogajane (South Africa)
- Ng’endo Mukii (Kenya)
- Shofela Coker (Nigeria)
- Nthato Mokgata and Terence Neale (South Africa)
- Pious Nyenyewa and Tafadzwa Hove (Zimbabwe)
- Tshepo Moche (South Africa)
- Raymond Malinga (Uganda)
- Lesego Vorster (South Africa)
