Kiliwe the Timebender

Kiliwe the Timebender is an educational, visually relatable, impactful, and culturally relevant animated series for kids, teenagers, and cartoon lovers.
The show’s driving force is Kiliwe, a 7-year-old Nigerian girl with a learning disability who gets to bend the time and correct her mistakes with the aid of her clock, a very special gift from Granny. The animation also features her family - Papi, Mami, and elder brother Kobi as well as her best friend Tiwa, and more!
Kiliwe experiences life as a child in a small town and faces a variety of challenges in every episode which she eventually surmounts with the aid of her clock which enables her to rewind time and make the right decisions. Kiliwe is the story of second chances, the fantasy of living in a world where mistakes can be undone, children's advocacy, and the Nigerian experience viewed through the eyes of a little Nigerian girl.

  • Jennifer Nkem-Eneanya
    Director
    Relive
  • Jennifer Nkem-Eneanya
    Writer
    Relive, Zena, For My Girls, Stay Burns Free, Win a Heart, Love in a Time of kekes, Simple People
  • Jennifer Nkem-Eneanya
    Producer
    Relive, Stay Burns Free
  • Jada Eneanya
    Key Cast
    "Kiliwe"
  • Jennifer Nkem-Eneanya
    Key Cast
    "Kobi"
    Stay Burns Free, Win a Heart
  • Ashford Etela
    Key Cast
    "Papi"
    Stay Burns Free
  • Jennifer Eneanya
    Key Cast
    "Mami"
    Relive, Win a Heart, For My Girls
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short, Web / New Media
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    February 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    750 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Nigeria
  • Country of Filming:
    Nigeria
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16.9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • PH City ComicCon
    Port Harcourt
    Nigeria
    July 17, 2021
  • Rendacon (Animation and Visual Effects Film Festival)
    Lagos
    Nigeria
    December 25, 2021
    Lagos Premiere
Director Biography - Jennifer Nkem-Eneanya

The Chief Content Officer and Founder of Amaranthine Media, Jennifer Nkem-Eneanya is a versatile creator, with over a decade of experience as an Editor-in-Chief, Features Editor and Screenwriter. Her screenwriting credits include ZENA which opened in cinemas, For My Girls, Love in a time of Kekes, Pushing 30, Zuriel's Diary, The Housekeeper's Daughter, Along Came a Butterfly, Paradise and Win a Heart. She has also written and developed stories for MNET's Africa Magic series, 'Tinsel' and 'Hustle' and produced a short film entitled, ‘Relive.’

Jennifer has written, produced and directed a series of animated explainer videos for a ‘Stay Burns Free’ campaign and an animated short with the same title which has the most views on the Amaranthine Media budding Youtube channel and is available for viewing here: Stay Burns Free Short Film. She is the creator, director and producer of ‘Kiliwe the Timebender’ animated series and copyright holder for this project including but not limited to the story idea, the original theme song and the animation. Jennifer also runs a seasonal, online screenwriting class.

Jennifer holds a filmmaking certification from Le Cinefabrique, Lyon, France, a certification in Journalism and Social Media from the African Institute of Media Studies and a Bachelors of Law from the University of Nigeria with an MBA in view from UNICAF University Zambia. She is an alumnus of The Storyteller Pod, South Africa (Animation Writing), the Africa International Film Festival (Screenwriting), Index Two Studios (The Art of Storytelling), and the World Economic Forum, Global Shapers.

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Director Statement

This story is dear to the creator who grew up with a younger sister living on the spectrum and watched her struggle with academics, social relationships and life because there was little or no awareness about autism. Even now, parents struggle to find schools and support communities for their autistic children in Nigeria.
Amongst other things, Kiliwe the Time Bender will serve as a tool to shed light on autism, and simplify everything there is to know about people living on the spectrum.
In addition, the power of the Media cannot be overemphasized and children’s media is an important tool that shapes a child’s image, moral and socio-cultural values and can be used to instill self-confidence and awareness, a love of learning and an understanding of complex issues in a simplified manner. Currently, there is a dearth of children’s media by Africans that portrays Africa and Nigerians in a positive, educational and non-condescending way.
We are passionate about content created by Africans for Africans and we are convinced that this series will speak to Africans in a language and visuals that are relatable and will serve the many-pronged purpose of communicating African values, cultures, history and the intermingling of ethnicities.
In order to produce just one episode of this series, jobs were created for the animator, voice-over artists, music producer, and the recording studio. Therefore, creating this series will substantially create job opportunities, give fledging creatives an opportunity to create and increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship. Asides from the target audience, the beneficiaries of this product include the entire production chain, interns and trainees who will gain experience and income from the creation of the series which we hope will expand to include gaming apps, merchandising and more.