Disney+’s Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire will be screened for free at the Marquee Cinema, University of Wisconsin-Madison on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. This 10-episode Afrofuturist animation series is a stunning collaboration with African studios and artists from Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

The animation space in Africa has been buzzing with exciting news in recent years. An increasing amount of young African visual artists tell unique and interesting stories, often with a futuristic twist. African animators, comic book artists, cartoonists, and visual effects artists use their arts as mediums of popular expression and the promotion of culture and identity. The animations, comics, and visual effects offer a vision of a better Africa and share important values that are both useful and beautiful.

This growing industry has also caught the attention of the world. Some of the animation productions emerging from Africa are a result of collaborations between global entertainment platforms like Disney+, Netflix, and African studios and artists. The collaborations have not only given African animators a global platform but have also provided a fresh perspective on African storytelling to the world. With the world recognizing the potential of African animation, the industry is expected to grow exponentially, opening up more opportunities for young African creatives to showcase their skills and provide an authentic representation of Africa to the world.

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire (2023) is a 10-episode pan-African animated anthology featuring sci-fi and Afrofuturist themes. These coming-of-age stories are told by animators from different parts of Africa including Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. To produce Kizazi Moto, Walt Disney Animation teamed up with South African animation studio Triggerfish.

Five of the 10 episodes in the series will be screened at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The screening is organized by Michael Oshindoro, a PhD student studying the development of the art and industry of animation in Nigeria. Details of the screening are included below.

Venue: The Marquee Cinema at Union South, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Guest: Shofela Coker, Director “Moremi” (Episode 3 Kizazi Moto)

Date: April 30, 2024

Time: 6:30 PM – 8: 30 PM CT

This film screening is free and open to the public.

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If you like the sound of Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, here are other African visual stories you should watch and read:

1. Iwájú (2024) – The animated film series Iwájú tells a coming-of-age story set in futuristic Lagos, Nigeria. Iwájú follows the story of precocious Tola, a privileged young girl, and her housekeeper friend, Kole, a self-taught tech whiz. Their troubled friendship is further tested as they journey through the most treacherous sides of Lagos. The series is a result of the collaboration between Walt Disney Animation and pan-African storytelling company Kugali Media. Kugali is a comic book entertainment company co-founded by Olufikayo Adeola (Nigeria), Hamid Ibrahim (Uganda), and Tolu Olowofoyeku (Nigeria).

2. New Masters: This comic book is created by two Nigerian brothers, Shobo Coker and Shofela (Shof) Coker. It is an animated sci-fi book series couched in Afrofuturism. The plot revolves around the struggle between the alien colonizers and the natives to control an ancient artifact capable of shifting the global power balance. The book consists of six issues.

3. Supa Team 4: This is a Zambian animation series created by Malenga Mulendema. Set in neo-futurist Lusaka, Zambia, the animation series follows the story of four teenage girls, Komana Mwiinga (K-Bongo), Monde (M-Kozo), Temwe (T-Mlilo), and Zee (Za-Mpezi). They were recruited by a former secret agent, Kumbukani (Mama K), to help save the world. Imbued with different skills, the girls were trained by Mama K to fight off villains. As teenagers who have to juggle their school life with their part-time superhero status, the girls navigate the life of complex secret superhero identities and try to strike a balance.

4. Kwezi: Kwezi is a South African comic book series set in South Africa. It follows the journey of a Kwezi, a 19-year-old boy who discovers that he has a superpower. Kwezi decides to use his power to save the world and begins his journey as a hero. Kwezi fights criminals, thugs, and powerful people who corrupt his city. His mission is to keep the people safe. Navigating his complex identity as a superhero and a teenager comes with some burdens that he must bear all by himself.