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JABARI

An orphan (Jabari) raised by seer Hem-Netjer, grows to uncover the mystery behind his birth and the demise of his parent. He takes on mystical giants summoned from the dark realms of the underworld in the course of fulfilling his discovered purpose and saving the innocent people of Aksum.

  • Francis Y Brown
    Director
    ROOM 5
  • Francis Y Brown
    Writer
    Room 5
  • Dante Kaba
    Producer
    ROOM 5
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Genres:
    Fiction, Adventure
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 12 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 31, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Ghana
  • Country of Filming:
    Ghana
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Animation
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Francis Y Brown

Francis is an award winning filmmaker from Ghana, he is the founder and creative director of AnimaxFYB Studios, trained in a number of different cinematic medium and over ten years' experience in the audio visual industry.

He specializes in Animation, Illustration, Filmmaking and Graphic Design. Having attained a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts at the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI). Francis was shortlisted for the 42nd Student Academy Awards (Oscars), won Best Animation Film at the Africa International Film Festival 2016 (AFFRIF), Black British Entertainment Awards, Best Creative Artist 2017, animator of the year at the 2017 Ghana UK Based Awards (GUBA) and also Best Animation at the 2018 Ghana Movie Awards. In 2019 Face2Face Africa named Francis Y. Brown as one of the five African animators who can give their Hollywood counter parts a run for the money. In 2020, Francis was once again mentioned as one of the top animators making African animation go global by Africa Vibes magazine. Francis was honored at a laureate of Africa 35 under 35 as one of the 35 most inspiring young entrepreneurs under the age of 35 making great strides in Africa.

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Director Statement

Jabari is a historical fiction set in an era when giants lived among mankind. A prehistoric era where Kings were seen as gods and had dominion over humans. While there have been great stories told about Alexander the Great in Egypt, little has been explored by way of animation, which provides a wealth of possibilities in the expression of myth and reality. The silver screen has never been as engaging as this experience offered by Jabari, especially as it is produced from a purely African ethnographic environment.

This is a demonstration of the genius of a dauntless pre-colonial era where African civilization chartered its own self-confident path with a cultural identity all its own.

To depict this epic adventure in terms of historical accuracy, character sketches, performances, costume and drawing techniques, historians, writers and creatives -- not just in Ghana, but across the African continent and Diaspora – joined forces to express the diversity that Africa represented in ancient Egypt.

Our intention is to leave our audience with an appreciation of the culmination of cultures within the ancient Egyptian narrative.

We hope to get the support necessary to bring new, untold stories about the métissage of African cultures and stories to the fore.