To understand the success of Triggerfish, the fast-rising, Cape Town-based animation house, which won the prestigious MIFA Animation Industry Award this week in Annecy, one need look no further than the circumstances of its birth 25 years ago.
South Africa was finally emerging from the shadows of apartheid, a cruel and exploitive system of institutionalized racism that had oppressed its Black-majority population for nearly 50 years. Nelson Mandela was elected the country’s first Black president, and after years of being ostracized on the world stage, South Africa was finally rejoining the global community.
“I think it was a very heady time for the country,” says Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest. “Everyone was very excited. We were the ‘Rainbow Nation,’ and we really felt we could do anything.”
That boundless optimism—a sense that, as in the world of animation, even the impossible could be rendered possible—was baked into the company’s DNA.
South Africa was finally emerging from the shadows of apartheid, a cruel and exploitive system of institutionalized racism that had oppressed its Black-majority population for nearly 50 years. Nelson Mandela was elected the country’s first Black president, and after years of being ostracized on the world stage, South Africa was finally rejoining the global community.
“I think it was a very heady time for the country,” says Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest. “Everyone was very excited. We were the ‘Rainbow Nation,’ and we really felt we could do anything.”
That boundless optimism—a sense that, as in the world of animation, even the impossible could be rendered possible—was baked into the company’s DNA.
- 6/18/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Disney has tapped top toon talents from across the African continent for “Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire,” a Disney Plus Original anthology of animated films set to premiere on the Mouse House’s streaming platform in late 2022.
Inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures, the 10-part anthology brings together a slate of rising animation talents from six African nations to produce action-packed sci-fi and fantasy stories that will present bold visions of advanced technology, aliens, spirits and monsters imagined from uniquely African perspectives.
Oscar-winning director Peter Ramsey (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”) will serve as executive producer, with Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston as supervising producers. Cape Town-based animation house Triggerfish, which received the prestigious MIFA Animation Industry Award in Annecy this year, will be the lead studio for the anthology, working in collaboration with animation studios across the continent and globally.
“We are bringing the work of a visionary...
Inspired by the continent’s diverse histories and cultures, the 10-part anthology brings together a slate of rising animation talents from six African nations to produce action-packed sci-fi and fantasy stories that will present bold visions of advanced technology, aliens, spirits and monsters imagined from uniquely African perspectives.
Oscar-winning director Peter Ramsey (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”) will serve as executive producer, with Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston as supervising producers. Cape Town-based animation house Triggerfish, which received the prestigious MIFA Animation Industry Award in Annecy this year, will be the lead studio for the anthology, working in collaboration with animation studios across the continent and globally.
“We are bringing the work of a visionary...
- 6/17/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Cinema Management Group concludes raft of pre-sales.
Annecy-bound South African animation house Triggerfish Animation Studios has begun production on the action-comedy Seal Team, which Edward Noeltner’s Cinema Management Group (Cmg) has licensed in a raft of pre-sales.
Triggerfish and Cmg partnered on Adventures In Zambezia (2012) and 2013 Annecy International Animated Film Festival contender Khumba, two of the highest grossing South African productions of all time with combined worldwide box office exceeding $50m.
Cape Town-based Triggerfish has a strong presence at this year’s Annecy (June 11-16), where its short film Belly Flop will receive its world premiere screening at the closing ceremony,...
Annecy-bound South African animation house Triggerfish Animation Studios has begun production on the action-comedy Seal Team, which Edward Noeltner’s Cinema Management Group (Cmg) has licensed in a raft of pre-sales.
Triggerfish and Cmg partnered on Adventures In Zambezia (2012) and 2013 Annecy International Animated Film Festival contender Khumba, two of the highest grossing South African productions of all time with combined worldwide box office exceeding $50m.
Cape Town-based Triggerfish has a strong presence at this year’s Annecy (June 11-16), where its short film Belly Flop will receive its world premiere screening at the closing ceremony,...
- 6/1/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
South Africa’s Triggerfish Animation Studios has begun production on its third animated feature, “Seal Team,” which the toon powerhouse will announce as part of a packed slate at the Annecy Int’l. Animation Film Festival, where it has a TV film in competition and will screen a short, “Belly Flop,” during the fest’s closing ceremony.
Blazing on the red-hot heels of its latest award-winning collaboration with the U.K.’s Magic Light Pictures, the Cape Town-based studio is going back to the successful feature-length formula that turned its first two films, “Adventures in Zambezia” (2012) and “Khumba” (2013), into two of the five top-grossing South African movies of all time.
“We’re delighted to be returning to our own IP after honing our skills on Magic Light Pictures’ BBC Christmas specials, like the Oscar-nominated ‘Revolting Rhymes,’” says Triggerfish’s head of development, Anthony Silverston.
The action-comedy “Seal Team” is the story of an orphan seal,...
Blazing on the red-hot heels of its latest award-winning collaboration with the U.K.’s Magic Light Pictures, the Cape Town-based studio is going back to the successful feature-length formula that turned its first two films, “Adventures in Zambezia” (2012) and “Khumba” (2013), into two of the five top-grossing South African movies of all time.
“We’re delighted to be returning to our own IP after honing our skills on Magic Light Pictures’ BBC Christmas specials, like the Oscar-nominated ‘Revolting Rhymes,’” says Triggerfish’s head of development, Anthony Silverston.
The action-comedy “Seal Team” is the story of an orphan seal,...
- 5/31/2018
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Triggerfish Animation Studios has selected four features and four TV series for development from the inaugural Triggerfish Story Lab, established with the support of The Department of Trade and Industry and The Walt Disney Company. “From misfit Zambian girls who become low-budget superhero-super-spies, to a stubborn 12-year-old Kenyan girl who defies tradition by racing camels; from a young South African scientist who accidentally turns her annoying little sister into a new source of electricity, to a timid lemming who must defy his nature; these are characters we fell in love with,” says Anthony Silverston, head of development at Triggerfish. “We’re excited by the range of stories,...
- 12/14/2015
- by Shadow And Act
- ShadowAndAct
★★☆☆☆As the recent critical and box office success of both the Oscar-winning Frozen (2013) and The Lego Movie (2014) can attest to, animated movies have seldom been more popular than they are today. Though noble in its intentions, Anthony Silverston's Khumba (2013) - the sophomore effort from the Cape Town-based Triggerfish Animation Studios - is a substandard digimated excursion that's all the more dissatisfying when compared to the films that inspired it. When young zebra Khumba (voiced by Jake T. Austin) is born with only half of his usual stripes, his superstitious herd believe it to be a bad omen and he is quickly blamed and branded an outcast when a drought falls upon the dazzle's land.
- 4/9/2014
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
It goes without saying that we were completely thrilled to be given the opportunity to email across some questions to British acting legend Richard E. Grant ahead of his role as Bradley the Ostrich in Anthony Silverston’s Khumba: A Zebra’s Tale.
Though his answers are somewhat short and sweet to say the least, it’s always interesting to hear what the great man has to say. Right?
So, how would one prepare for a role when playing an animated ostrich?
Read the script and look at the initial character sketches.
Were you able to see a drawing of your character before voicing him? Is that helpful?
Yes. The drawing gives you an instant idea of what the character is like and is very helpful.
There’s an incredible cast on Khumba – the likes of Liam Neeson, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne… Did you have much time to hang out together,...
Though his answers are somewhat short and sweet to say the least, it’s always interesting to hear what the great man has to say. Right?
So, how would one prepare for a role when playing an animated ostrich?
Read the script and look at the initial character sketches.
Were you able to see a drawing of your character before voicing him? Is that helpful?
Yes. The drawing gives you an instant idea of what the character is like and is very helpful.
There’s an incredible cast on Khumba – the likes of Liam Neeson, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne… Did you have much time to hang out together,...
- 4/9/2014
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Ice cool princesses on melodic voyages of self-discovery, are undeniably delightful. Yet sometimes one wants something a little more ferocious from a trip to the movies. With its roll call of eccentric characters and sweeping desert scapes, Khumba: A Zebra’s Tale provides an earnest and offbeat – if temporary - antidote to those sisters this Easter holiday. A wild and winsome tale of big courage!
Khumba (Jake T. Austin) is an outcast among his insular zebra herd. Born half-striped, raised as a veritable outsider and newly motherless, his instinct to offer a share of their dwindling water supplies to a stranger only elevate suspicions within the group. The superstitious elders of the herd – mulishly determined not to remember a time when things were different – keep the waterhole locked down by a wall of thorns and hoard the precious commodity.
Regardless, demand is outstripping supply and someone needs to act.
Khumba (Jake T. Austin) is an outcast among his insular zebra herd. Born half-striped, raised as a veritable outsider and newly motherless, his instinct to offer a share of their dwindling water supplies to a stranger only elevate suspicions within the group. The superstitious elders of the herd – mulishly determined not to remember a time when things were different – keep the waterhole locked down by a wall of thorns and hoard the precious commodity.
Regardless, demand is outstripping supply and someone needs to act.
- 4/8/2014
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Title: Khumba Directed by: Anthony Silverston Starring: Jake T. Austin, Liam Neeson, Steve Buscemi, AnnaSophia Robb, Laurence Fishburne, Richard E. Grant, Loretta Devine Running time: 85 minutes, Not Rated, Available on Blu-ray 3D and DVD Special Features: Behind the Scenes Featurette; Acting Out- Character Evolution; The Karoo – A World of Difference; Nora – A Great Partnersheep Khumba (Jake T. Austin) is a young zebra that was born with only half his stripes. Teased by the rest of the herd, blamed for the drought and his mother’s death by his father Seko (Laurence Fishburne), he runs off into The Karoo, the vast land outside the safety of their secluded watering [ Read More ]
The post Khumba Blu-ray Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Khumba Blu-ray Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 1/17/2014
- by juliana
- ShockYa
Millennium Entertainment's Khumba animation which is being voiced by Jake T. Austin, Liam Neeson, Steve Buscemi, AnnaSophia Robb and Laurence Fishburne, has added a first trailer and a second poster. Rejected by his superstitious herd, a half-striped zebra embarks on a daring quest to earn his stripes but finds the courage and self-acceptance to save all the animals of the Great Karoo. Anthony Silverston directs, with a release date both OnDemand and in theaters on February 11, 2014. Watch the trailer below, and see the poster under that for Khumba. That reminds me of the Khumba rollercoaster...
- 10/8/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Exclusive: Edward Noeltner’s Cinema Management Group has licensed rights on the animation and Toronto selection to Transmission in Australia, Kaleidoscope in the UK and Eagle for Italy.
Kaleidoscope is eying a first quarter 2014 release for the story about a half-striped zebra who embarks on a quest for his origins, accompanied by an overprotective wildebeest, narcissistic ostrich and plucky young zebra.
Khumba follows hot on the heels of Zambezia, which became the biggest hit at the South African box office in 30 years.
The film gets its first theatrical release when it opens in South Africa on October 25.
Jake T Austin, Steve Buscemi, Loretta Devine, Laurence Fishburne, Richard E Grant, AnnaSophia Robb, Catherine Tate and Liam Neeson comprise the key voice cast.
“We’re delighted to be in business with these three powerhouse independent distributors” said Noeltner.
Triggerfish writers Raffaella Delle Donne and Anthony Silverston wrote the original screenplay in consultation with Jonathan Roberts, co-writer of [link...
Kaleidoscope is eying a first quarter 2014 release for the story about a half-striped zebra who embarks on a quest for his origins, accompanied by an overprotective wildebeest, narcissistic ostrich and plucky young zebra.
Khumba follows hot on the heels of Zambezia, which became the biggest hit at the South African box office in 30 years.
The film gets its first theatrical release when it opens in South Africa on October 25.
Jake T Austin, Steve Buscemi, Loretta Devine, Laurence Fishburne, Richard E Grant, AnnaSophia Robb, Catherine Tate and Liam Neeson comprise the key voice cast.
“We’re delighted to be in business with these three powerhouse independent distributors” said Noeltner.
Triggerfish writers Raffaella Delle Donne and Anthony Silverston wrote the original screenplay in consultation with Jonathan Roberts, co-writer of [link...
- 9/11/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The 38th Toronto International Film Festival has released an incredible guest list of celebrated talent from around the globe. Filmmakers expected to present their world premieres in Toronto include: Catherine Breillat, Nicole Garcia, Pawel Pawlikowski, Bertrand Tavernier, Steve McQueen, Godfrey Reggio, Denis Villeneuve, Bill Condon, Jean-Marc Vallée, John Wells, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Ayoade, Atom Egoyan, Matthew Weiner, John Carney, Jason Reitman, Jason Bateman, Yorgos Servetas, Liza Johnson, Megan Griffiths, Fernando Eimbcke, Alexey Uchitel, Johnny Ma, Biyi Bandele, Rashid Masharawi, Paul Haggis, Ron Howard, Eli Roth, Álex de la Iglesia, Bruce McDonald, Jennifer Baichwal, John Ridley, and Justin Chadwick.
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...
The Festival also welcomes thousands of producers and other industry professionals bringing films to us.
The following filmmakers and artists are expected to attend the Toronto International Film Festival:
Ahmad Abdalla, Hany Abu-Assad, Yuval Adler, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Alexandre Aja, Bruce Alcock, Gianni Amelio, Thanos Anastopoulos, Madeline Anderson, Nimród Antal, Louise Archambault,...
- 8/21/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Check out this adorable new trailer for director Anthony Silverston’s Khumba.
After screening at the Annecy and Durban film festivals, it was announced yesterday Khumba will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Khumba tells the story of a half-striped zebra who is blamed for the drought by his superstitious herd. He leaves his home in search of the magic waterhole where legend has it, the first zebras got their stripes. Teaming up with an overprotective, sassy wildebeest and a self-obsessed ostrich, this plucky young zebra meets an array of wacky characters in an unforgettable adventure through the Great Karoo desert to earn his stripes.
The cast includes Liam Neeson, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi.
Khumba is the second animated feature to be produced by Cape Town-based, Triggerfish Animation Studios, which has seen a successful global release of Adventures In Zambezia. The original...
After screening at the Annecy and Durban film festivals, it was announced yesterday Khumba will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
Khumba tells the story of a half-striped zebra who is blamed for the drought by his superstitious herd. He leaves his home in search of the magic waterhole where legend has it, the first zebras got their stripes. Teaming up with an overprotective, sassy wildebeest and a self-obsessed ostrich, this plucky young zebra meets an array of wacky characters in an unforgettable adventure through the Great Karoo desert to earn his stripes.
The cast includes Liam Neeson, Laurence Fishburne and Steve Buscemi.
Khumba is the second animated feature to be produced by Cape Town-based, Triggerfish Animation Studios, which has seen a successful global release of Adventures In Zambezia. The original...
- 8/14/2013
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
With only the Discovery, Mavericks and Masters programmes left to be determined, Tiff head programmers dished out the final make-up of the Galas, Special Presentations and Tiff Kids line-ups. Among the surprise/highly anticipated world preems we find Arie Posin’s The Face of Love, John Turturro’s Fading Gigolo, Kevin Macdonald’s How I Live Now, the long overdue showing for Charlie Stratton’s Therese and the out of nowhere sophomore feature from Quinceañera pairing Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland in The Last of Robin Hood, as well as the “theatrical” world preem to Sean Durkins’ Southcliffe (Channel 4′s TV Mini-Series, see pic above). Here are the added titles:
Galas
Blood Ties – Guillaume Canet, France/USA North American Premiere
Bright Days Ahead (Les Beaux jours) – Marion Vernoux, France North American Premiere
Words and Pictures – Fred Schepisi, USA World Premiere
Special Presentations
A Promise (Une Promesse) – Patrice Leconte, Belgium...
Galas
Blood Ties – Guillaume Canet, France/USA North American Premiere
Bright Days Ahead (Les Beaux jours) – Marion Vernoux, France North American Premiere
Words and Pictures – Fred Schepisi, USA World Premiere
Special Presentations
A Promise (Une Promesse) – Patrice Leconte, Belgium...
- 8/13/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
World premieres of Kevin Macdonald’s How I Live Now, Fred Schepisi’s Words And Pictures and John Turturro’s Fading Gigolo are among the Tiff line-up of galas and special presentations.
The Contemporary World Cinema strand includes first views of Jan Hrebejk’s Honeymoon, Donovan Marsh’s iNumber Number and Fernando Coimbra’s A Wolf At The Door.
The Toronto International Film Festival is scheduled to run from Sept 5-15.
Wp = World premiere
IP = International premiere
Np = North American premiere
Cp = Canadian premiere
Tp = Toronto premiere
GALASBlood Ties Guillaume Canet (France-us) NAPBright Days Ahead (Les Beaux Jours) Marion Vernoux (France) NAPWords & Pictures Fred Schepisi (Us) Wpspecial Presentationsa Promise (Une Promesse) Patrice Leconte (Belgium-France) NAPThe Armstrong Lie Alex Gibney (Us) NAPBlind Detective Johnnie To (Hong Kong) NAPChild Of God James Franco (Us) NAPThe Face Of Love Arie Posin (Us) WPFading Gigolo John Turturro (Us) WPThe Finishers Nils Tavernier (Belgium-France) WPHow I Live Now Kevin Macdonald (UK) WPThe...
The Contemporary World Cinema strand includes first views of Jan Hrebejk’s Honeymoon, Donovan Marsh’s iNumber Number and Fernando Coimbra’s A Wolf At The Door.
The Toronto International Film Festival is scheduled to run from Sept 5-15.
Wp = World premiere
IP = International premiere
Np = North American premiere
Cp = Canadian premiere
Tp = Toronto premiere
GALASBlood Ties Guillaume Canet (France-us) NAPBright Days Ahead (Les Beaux Jours) Marion Vernoux (France) NAPWords & Pictures Fred Schepisi (Us) Wpspecial Presentationsa Promise (Une Promesse) Patrice Leconte (Belgium-France) NAPThe Armstrong Lie Alex Gibney (Us) NAPBlind Detective Johnnie To (Hong Kong) NAPChild Of God James Franco (Us) NAPThe Face Of Love Arie Posin (Us) WPFading Gigolo John Turturro (Us) WPThe Finishers Nils Tavernier (Belgium-France) WPHow I Live Now Kevin Macdonald (UK) WPThe...
- 8/13/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
World premieres of Kevin Macdonald’s How I Live Now, Fred Schepisi’s Words And Pictures and John Turturro’s Fading Gigolo are among the TIFF line-up of galas and special presentations announced on Tuesday [13].
The Contemporary World Cinema strand includes first views of Jan Hrebejk’s Honeymoon, Donovan Marsh’s iNumber Number and Fernando Coimbra’s A Wolf At The Door.
The Toronto International Film Festival is scheduled to run from Sept 5-15.
Wp = World premiere
IP = International premiere
Np = North American premiere
Cp = Canadian premiere
Tp = Toronto premiere
GALASBlood Ties Guillaume Canet (France-us) NAPBright Days Ahead (Les Beaux Jours) Marion Vernoux (France) NAPWords & Pictures Fred Schepisi (Us) Wpspecial Presentationsa Promise (Une Promesse) Patrice Leconte (Belgium-France) NAPThe Armstrong Lie Alex Gibney (Us) NAPBlind Detective Johnnie To (Hong Kong) NAPChild Of God James Franco (Us) NAPThe Face Of Love Arie Posin (Us) WPFading Gigolo John Turturro (Us) WPThe Finishers Nils Tavernier (Belgium-France) WPHow I Live Now [link...
The Contemporary World Cinema strand includes first views of Jan Hrebejk’s Honeymoon, Donovan Marsh’s iNumber Number and Fernando Coimbra’s A Wolf At The Door.
The Toronto International Film Festival is scheduled to run from Sept 5-15.
Wp = World premiere
IP = International premiere
Np = North American premiere
Cp = Canadian premiere
Tp = Toronto premiere
GALASBlood Ties Guillaume Canet (France-us) NAPBright Days Ahead (Les Beaux Jours) Marion Vernoux (France) NAPWords & Pictures Fred Schepisi (Us) Wpspecial Presentationsa Promise (Une Promesse) Patrice Leconte (Belgium-France) NAPThe Armstrong Lie Alex Gibney (Us) NAPBlind Detective Johnnie To (Hong Kong) NAPChild Of God James Franco (Us) NAPThe Face Of Love Arie Posin (Us) WPFading Gigolo John Turturro (Us) WPThe Finishers Nils Tavernier (Belgium-France) WPHow I Live Now [link...
- 8/13/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Leonard Nimoy, Abigail Breslin, Jeff Goldblum and Samuel L. Jackson have joined the voice cast for 3D animated feature "Zambezia" for Triggerfish Animation Studios says Screen Daily.
The action is set near one of the giant waterfalls along the Zambezi river in a bird sanctuary led by the wise and battle-tested Fish Eagle Sekhuru (Leonard Nimoy). The story follows a young flying daredevil falcon who leaves to join the Hurricane defense flyers.
Richard E. Grant, Jennifer Lewis, Jim Cummings and Jeremy Suarez also voice characters in the film which Wayne Thornley directs from a screenplay by Andrew Cook, Anthony Silverston and Raffaella Delle Donne. The project is currently in production in Cape Town, South Africa.
The action is set near one of the giant waterfalls along the Zambezi river in a bird sanctuary led by the wise and battle-tested Fish Eagle Sekhuru (Leonard Nimoy). The story follows a young flying daredevil falcon who leaves to join the Hurricane defense flyers.
Richard E. Grant, Jennifer Lewis, Jim Cummings and Jeremy Suarez also voice characters in the film which Wayne Thornley directs from a screenplay by Andrew Cook, Anthony Silverston and Raffaella Delle Donne. The project is currently in production in Cape Town, South Africa.
- 9/12/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
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