Quick update- Q1 2014

At the moment I wish I could share everything that's happening- but as not all of it is immediately relevant to Mutwale, I'll keep it brief.

In Early February I was asked to guest speak at UNC Chapel Hill in a Global Cinema class, where I presented some of Mutwale in animatic form as well as some animation tests.  This was in part during a discussion of genocide on film in a post-colonial context.  Mutwale, although it is not about these topic directly, touches on them in some indirect ways.  It was a very crucial step in development to define how the film would treat certain topics when it comes to the African continent.  It was nice to discuss some of these upfront goals in a classroom setting, namely:  1) To avoid Africa in a post-colonial light, and in fact to, even when dealing with colonial topics, not have a 'Western' tinge over the viewpoints and perspectives in the film.  and 2) To attempt whenever possible to portray events with as much truth as could be gathered without the tendency of the Western reports of things to adopt certain stances that ignored colonial influences at the start of the century.  In other words, the Africa I want to portray in both tone and events is the Africa as it was and is, not the one as the West sees it.

There are many, many things in development here at my studio-- not the least of which is an animated music video commission for a beautiful song by a lovely local singer/songwriter.  It's currently passing from animatic to production-- but this doesn't mean Mutwale is on the back burner.  I have several shots from the film working at once at the moment, the only thing that delayed the work I've been doing was moving into a new house recently.

Thank you all for your patience.  Contributors to the film, and anyone who took part in the failed kickstarter:  the film goes on.  It will take a little bit longer than I'd like to admit, but with things continuing to move, there will be a film yet.