Creators from the African continent will put their artistic vision on display in the new ten-part film series Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire.
Set to premiere on Disney+ in 2022, this animated anthology is inspired by the diverse history and culture of the continent., which will weave science fiction and fantasy elements into each story.
According to Disney, Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse) will act as executive producer with Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston as supervising producers. Triggerfish studios, which curated the process for finding the selected stories, are lead animators on the project but will collaborate with various animation studios worldwide. Fifteen projects were chosen out of 70 and received A-list mentorship from Ramsey, Triggerfish, and Disney.
When asked about the project, Ramsey sees this as an opportunity to foster new talent. “I’m really pleased to be 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,” he says.
He adds, “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!’”
The final ten 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) and Lesego Vorster (South Africa).
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.