‘Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire’ Trailer Celebrates Black Culture!! Check It Out!!

As the 2023 Annecy Festival continues to take place in France, Disney+ seized the opportunity to provide some valuable information about their upcoming animation projects. Today, the streaming platform unveiled the release date and trailer for Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, an anthology animated series that celebrates Black culture in different parts of Africa.

With a focus on sci-fi stories, Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire plays out like a Love, Death + Robots of sorts, with a batch of episodes that vary in style and tone but have technology and fantasy as common threads. All the short films were in great hands: Academy Award winner and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse co-director Peter Ramsey worked as an executive producer for the series.

Back when the anthology series was announced, Disney+’s streaming president Michael Paull broke down the project’s idea and how it was influenced by Marvel Studios record-breaking Black Panther:

“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.”

What Does Kizazi Moto Mean?

Production company Triggerfish’s supervising producer Tendayi Nyeke explained that the title Kizazi Moto derives from a Swahili phrase that translates to “fire generation,” as the subtitle indicates. Nyeke also added that “Moto” is a special word because it “means fire in several other African languages,” which captures the spirit of the project of hailing from several countries across the continent.

The project initially featured over 70 animation creators who were invited by Disney to pitch their ideas for short films, and they were narrowed down to ten projects which hail from directors and screenwriters 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).

According to Disney+, each episode of Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is roughly ten minutes long, which means you can jump around to what tickles your fancy or just binge them all as a feature film divided in several segments.

Disney+ premieres Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire on July 5. You can watch the trailer below: