The Walt Disney Company has announced a brand new anthology of animated short films coming from African filmmakers to Disney+ late next year.
Read: REPORT: Disney+ Looking To Ditch The Weekly Episode Model For Some Shows
Kizaki Moto: Generation Fire will be a ten-part series of action-packed original films created by artists from Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt. This futuristic look at the African continent will offer audiences innovative ways to interact with the culture by featuring advanced technology, aliens, and monsters. Each episode will be approximately ten minutes in length.
The project is executive produced by Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) in collaboration with Triggerfish Animation Studios (who will also be doing Kiya for Disney+).
Michael Paull, President of Disney+, said this about the anthology:
“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”
Supervising Producer of Triggerfish Tendayi Nyeke explained the meaning behind the title:
“’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. ‘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”
The 10 films come from creators 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).
