> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.marmaladecollective.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # African Animated Films From the 2020s You Should Watch - URL: https://www.marmaladecollective.com/african-animated-films-from-the-2020s/ - Published: 2026-09-11T08:45:45.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-11T08:45:45.000Z - Description: From Nigerian mythology and Africanfuturism to stories inspired by history, culture and folklore, discover African animated films from this decade - Author: Omotola Saba - Tags: Guides African animation has been steadily finding new audiences at home and around the world, with filmmakers and studios drawing from mythology, history, folklore and everyday life to build stories that feel distinctly African while still travelling far beyond the continent. From Yoruba mythology and Northern Nigerian dambe boxing to futuristic Nigeria, ancient Rome and time-travelling jungle animals, the stories coming out of African animation are becoming increasingly varied in both subject and style. Here are some of the animated films, shorts and series worth adding to your watchlist. ## Iyanu: The War of Twin Princes (2026) **From:** Nigeria (produced across the US, UK and South Africa) | **By:** Lion Forge Entertainment and YouNeek Studios, created by Roye Okupe and Brandon M. Easton The second feature film in the *Iyanu* universe, *The War of Twin Princes,* extends the story of the Cartoon Network and HBO Max series based on Okupe and Godwin Akpan's graphic novel *Iyanu: Child of Wonder*. *The War of Twin Princes* takes viewers back to Yorubaland, a century before Iyanu's rise. The story follows Oba Adedeji, a king struggling to choose an heir between his twin sons, the bold Prince Debo and the introspective Prince Laja. His inability to make a decision sets off a chain of events that threatens the kingdom of Elu. The series leans on an all-Nigerian voice cast, a Yemi Alade theme song, and touches of capoeira and Dambe boxing worked into Iyanu's fight choreography earning comparisons to *Avatar: The Last Airbender* and *Black Panther* along the way. *Iyanu: The War of Twin Princes* caps off the second season, releasing July 11, 2026. **Where to watch:** The wider Iyanu universe streams on Cartoon Network, HBO Max, and Showmax; catch up via [beacons.ai/iyanuseries/watchiyanu](https://beacons.ai/iyanuseries/watchiyanu?ref=marmaladecollective.com) or the [official YouTube playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxf5pqCMUxN5eDwQB5uuGL2Z5ZvZVg9AX&ref=marmaladecollective.com). ## The Travails of Ajadi (2025) **From:** Nigeria | **By:** Adeoye Adetunji A handmade marvel from a Lagos-based art director who first made his name creating an AMVCA-winning stop-motion animation using nothing but a mobile phone, *The Travails of Ajadi* is a deeply personal stop-motion short built entirely from clay, fabric, paper and improvised materials. The film leans on physical performance rather than dialogue, using facial expression, lighting and painstaking frame-by-frame movement to tell its story of struggle and survival mirroring the real-life persistence of the animator who built it, largely alone, over an extended period. Since its 2025 release, it has travelled an extraordinary festival circuit: an official selection at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, a Best Stop-Motion Animation win at LIFEANIMA 2025, an AMAA nomination for Best Animation, and a spotlight screening at AFRIFF 2025. **Where to watch:** [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Uda5YvkeAI&ref=marmaladecollective.com) ## Jungle Beat 2: The Past (2025) **From:** South Africa and Mauritius | **By:** Sunrise Animation Studios and Sandcastle Studios, co-directed by Sam Wilson and Brent Dawes The sequel to *Jungle Beat: The Movie*, the 2020 Netflix hit that grew out of a YouTube series with over seven billion views, *Jungle Beat 2: The Past* reunites best friends Munki the monkey and Trunk the elephant for a time-travelling, dinosaur-filled adventure. When a stegosaurus falls through a portal left open by their alien friend Fneep, Trunk ends up stranded in prehistoric times while Munki gets stuck in an alien zoo in the present, and the pair have to work across time itself to set history back on track. It's a fully wordless, slapstick-driven family comedy in the tradition of the original series, animated between studios in South Africa and Mauritius, and released in 2025. **Where to watch:** Streaming on Angel Studios, Apple TV and Amazon; check regional availability via [JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/jungle-beat-2-the-past?ref=marmaladecollective.com). ## The Guardians: The Chosen Ones (2024) **From:** Ghana | **By:** Mills Media Following the success of *Asantewaa: Battle for the Golden Stool* and *RISE*, Ghanaian studio Mills Media turned its attention to youth-focused superhero storytelling with *The Guardians: The Chosen Ones,* widely described as Ghana's first homegrown animated superhero series. The show follows four friends chosen by the gods to become superheroes and protect their city from threats ranging from crime to climate change, a premise the studio built explicitly to give young Ghanaians characters who look and sound like them, alongside plans for merchandise and a companion video game. It premiered at Silverbird Cinemas in Accra in December 2024, spotlighting Ghana's fast-growing animation scene alongside neighbours like Nigeria and South Africa. **Where to watch:** [Mills Media.](https://millsmedia.co/the-guardians/?ref=marmaladecollective.com) ## TeraStorm (2022) **From:** Kenya | **By:** Andrew Kaggia, Afrikana Digital Animated almost single-handedly by self-taught Kenyan filmmaker Andrew Kaggia using Unreal Engine, *TeraStorm* is a science-fiction superhero film set in a fictionalised Nairobi, where a band of African superheroes must join forces to stop an ancient wizard from destroying the world with a mysterious artefact. Beyond the spectacle, *TeraStorm* holds a historic distinction: released in 2022, it was Kenya's official submission for Best International Feature at the 95th Academy Awards, making it the first African animated film ever selected to compete for the category, and the first original African-scripted animated feature to be submitted for Oscar consideration. **Where to watch:** [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3EWRedip3E&ref=marmaladecollective.com) ## Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopsters (2020) **From:** Nigeria | **By:** 32ad Animation Studio and Hot Ticket Productions, directed by Adebisi Adetayo Widely recognised as Nigeria's first feature-length animated film, *Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopsters* follows Bukky, a sharp young girl who loves helping her father solve puzzles and problems, on a colourful, fantastical adventure. The film spent years in development, surviving funding setbacks, a scrapped predecessor project, and the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, before finally releasing in Lagos cinemas in December 2020 on a budget of roughly ₦400 million. It went on to win Best Animation at the Africa Movie Academy Awards and screened at Annecy, PAFF, and AFRIFF, cementing its place as a milestone for Nollywood animation heading into this decade. **Where to watch:** [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/ng/title/81580009?ref=marmaladecollective.com); also check [JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/za/movie/lady-buckit-and-the-motley-mopsters?ref=marmaladecollective.com) for regional options. ## The Spirit of Dambe (2025) **From:** Nigeria and the UK | **By:** Taeps, directed by Mark Eyesan, produced by Adeoyin Okuboyejo Set against the backdrop of Dambe, the traditional bare-knuckle boxing sport of Northern Nigeria, *The Spirit of Dambe* follows Farouk, a determined 19-year-old who enters a local Dambe tournament to save his sick grandmother and honour his family's legacy. It's an action-drama that leans fully into the culture and heritage of Northern Nigeria, translating the sport's physicality and ritual into a dynamic, emotionally driven short. Released in 2025, the film went on to win the Jury's Overall Award at that year's Lift-Off Sessions in the UK. **Where to watch:** [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nai61gPBEzM&ref=marmaladecollective.com) ## Vainglorious (2024) **From:** Nigeria and the US | **By:** Gabriel Oshiomati "Mati" Ugbodaga and Sebastien Abou-Chakra, produced at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Originally conceived as a student project, *Vainglorious* is set against the backdrop of Dambe boxing and follows the conflict between Haruna, a young boxer devoted to his craft, and Ayeana, a father fighting to secure his daughter's future: a story of tradition, modernity and the sacrifices both men make for the people they love. Director Mati Ugbodaga is the grandson of celebrated Nigerian architect and artist Demas Nwoko, whose visual and design sensibilities visibly shape the film's world. Since its 2024 release, it has picked up notable festival selections and awards, and is being featured in the fourth season of the TV series *Messengers*. **Where to watch:** [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tVVWgz1cEk&ref=marmaladecollective.com) ## Seal Team (2021) **From:** South Africa | **By:** Triggerfish Animation Studios, co-directed by Greig Cameron and Kane Croudace Set off South Africa's Cape of Good Hope, *Seal Team* follows Quinn, a young Cape fur seal, as he assembles a ragtag crew, an eccentric gadget-obsessed veteran, a reformed aquarium escapee, an energetic rock-licker and more, to take on Grimes, a villainous great white shark terrorising their community. Produced at Cape Town's Triggerfish Animation Studios with a starry voice cast including J.K. Simmons, Dolph Lundgren, John Kani and the musician Seal, the film became a genuine global hit after Netflix picked it up for its worldwide streaming release at the end of 2021, landing in the platform's top ten in 27 countries across five continents. **Where to watch:** [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/ng/title/81354554?ref=marmaladecollective.com) ## Ajaka Lost in Rome (2023) **From:** Nigeria | **By:** Spoof Animation, created and directed by Ayodele Elegba An ambitious historical epic set between the Oyo Empire and ancient Rome, *Ajaka Lost in Rome* follows King Ajaka, dethroned by his younger brother Sango, the god of thunder, and betrayed by his own chiefs. Sold into slavery and transported across the sea, Ajaka is thrust into Rome's gladiator pits, where his skill in combat catches the attention of Caesar's daughter and where he must decide whether to follow his conscience or fight his way back to reclaim his throne in Oyo. Hand-drawn in frame-by-frame 2D by the Lagos studio Spoof Animation and released on YouTube in July 2023, it's a striking example of Yoruba mythology and history being reimagined on an international canvas. **Where to watch:** [YouTube](https://youtu.be/gXVOeJVsRXE?ref=marmaladecollective.com) ## Moremi — Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire (2023) **From:** Nigeria and South Africa | **By:** Lucan Studio, in collaboration with Triggerfish, directed by Shofela Coker One of the standout entries in Disney+'s 2023 anthology *Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire*, *Moremi* is a sci-fi retelling of the classic Nigerian legend of Queen Moremi of Ife. Set in a futuristic rendition of the City of Ife, the story is told through the eyes of Luo, a boy made of stone trapped in the spirit realm, whose fate becomes entangled with Moremi's own. The film draws heavily on Nigerian art and design heritage: Yoruba printmaking patterns, sculpture techniques, and movement inspired by Egungun masquerade dancers, even folding in a fully 2D interlude as a nod to traditional printmaking. Directed by Shofela Coker and animated by Cape Town's Lucan Studio, it stands as one of the clearest examples yet of Nigerian mythology rendered through a distinctly African animation studio's own visual language. **Where to watch:** Streaming on Disney+; check [JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/kizazi-moto-generation-fire?ref=marmaladecollective.com#where-to-watch) for availability. ## Malika: Warrior Queen (2019 short; feature in production) **From:** Nigeria | **By:** Roye Okupe and YouNeek Studios, animation by Anthill Studios Set in a 15th-century West African empire, *Malika: Warrior Queen* follows Malika, a queen and military commander inspired by the real-life 16th-century ruler Queen Amina, who inherits her father's throne under unusual circumstances, splits and then reunites her kingdom of Azzaz after years of civil war, and must ultimately defend her people against the encroaching Ming Dynasty. The project began life as a 15-minute pilot film, written, directed and produced by Okupe, executive produced by Niyi Akinmolayan, with Adesua Etomi-Wellington voicing Malika, which premiered at the Lagos Comic Convention in September 2019 after a 2019 Kickstarter campaign. It's since grown into a full theatrical feature, announced in early 2026, with Okupe writing and directing and Singapore's August Media Group co-producing alongside a network of Asian animation studios, bringing his "Afro-Anime" style — already familiar from *Iyanu* — to the big screen. **Where to watch:** The short pilot film is on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dBVuTbjy6I&ref=marmaladecollective.com); the feature film is currently in production. # Conclusion From stop-motion shorts and independent features to superhero worlds, African-futurist stories and internationally distributed family films, there is no single way African animation looks or sounds. What connects many of these projects is the desire to tell stories from African perspectives, whether that means returning to mythology and history, exploring contemporary life or imagining entirely new futures. And increasingly, these stories are being made not simply for African audiences, but with the confidence that they can travel. There is still a long way to go, but these films and series offer a glimpse of just how much possibility there is in African animation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f2/65/f2656369-0f61-4d65-ad9e-0284e2fdbaca/content/images/2023/06/pexels-gradienta-6984984.jpeg) ## Your insider guide to African culture Join ****5500+ subscribers** and get our 5-min weekly newsletter on the best stories and global news on Africa(ns). Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.