Triggerfish showcases steady growth at Annecy
Having won the Mifa Animation Industry Award at Annecy 2021, Triggerfish again featured prominently at pitches, on panels and in key publications at this year’s festival.
Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire reveals first images and key cast
Disney shared exclusive first images from the African animated sci-fi anthology Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire – which was met with “enthusiastic cheers and applause from the Annecy crowd,” according to Variety.
A Disney+ Original, Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is a ten-part collection of premium original films from creators from Zimbabwe, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt, who will each bring their unique visions to audiences around the world.
Disney also revealed key cast from across the continent, including Florence Kasumba (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Kehinde Bankole (Blood Sisters), Pearl Thusi (Queen Sono), Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Hotel Rwanda, Godzilla vs. Kong ), Sheila Munyiva (Rafiki), Stycie Waweru (Supa Modo, Supa Sema), and rapper Nasty C (Blood & Water).
Oscar®-winning director Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse) serves as executive producer for the anthology, with Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston as supervising producers. Triggerfish is the lead studio for the anthology.
The 10 films are created by 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 Catherine Green (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 across the globe.
Tribe’s pitch catches Cartoon Brew’s eye
Triggerfish’s Tendayi Nyeke pitched her film Tribe during Animation du Monde at the Mifa pitches. In a world where only women manifest magic, a powerless mother escapes with her daughter to find refuge from power-hungry leaders desperate to exploit her child’s unique abilities. Then she learns that she herself is the key to stopping the war altogether. Cartoon Brew picked Tribe as one of “5 Feature Projects That Caught Our Eye” from the Annecy pitches.
Mama K’s Team 4 used as gender inclusion case study
Triggerfish producer Vanessa Sinden spoke at the Women in Animation Summit as part of the panel on Gender Inclusion Programs. She shared a case study from Mama K’s Team 4 all-female writers lab, which saw nine African women placed in the writing room for the first animated Netflix series from Africa.
“What an absolute privilege to be able to share about my journey working on Triggerfish programmes that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion,” says Vanessa. “I have seen amazing progress through these programmes and I am so excited to watch women and minority groups take centre stage in stories with distinct messages.”
Triggerfish Studio Focus spotlights steady flow of work opportunities
In addition to Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire and Mama K’s Team 4, the Triggerfish Studio Focus also parted the waves of the studio’s third feature film, Seal Team, which cracked the Netflix Weekly Top 10 at the start of the year; Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes, a preschool series with eOne, Disney Junior and Disney+; and much, much more. Sign up on the Triggerfish jobs page for a steady flow of work opportunities.
Pearl of the Sea on French bookshelves
Triggerfish’s first graphic novel, Pearl of the Sea, was also released in France during Annecy, so seeing it on French bookshelves was another highlight for the studio. Congrats to creators Anthony Silverston, Raffaela Delle Donne and Willem Samuel.
Since her mother left, Pearl has spent more and more time in the ocean, fishing to help her father pay the bills. When she gets mixed up with a group of illegal abalone poachers and starts diving near a restricted wreck, Pearl meets an ancient sea monster named Otto – who isn’t quite as monstrous as she thought. When Otto’s enemies come back to finish what they started, Pearl is the only one who can save him, but only if she has the courage to let go of her past and open up to others – including the girl from class she’s got a crush on.
As Star vs. The Forces of Evil creator Daron Nefcy says, “Pearl of the Sea is an action-packed story in a unique setting. The beautiful illustrations bring you right into the ocean and the South African seaside town Pearl calls home. With mysteries and heart, this is an exciting graphic novel everyone will enjoy!”