Zambezia (film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zambezia
South African theatrical release film poster
Directed by	Wayne Thornley
Produced by	Mike Buckland Stuart Forrest James Middleton Anthony Silverston
Written by	Andrew Cook Raffaella Delle Donne Anthony Silverston Wayne Thornley
Starring	Jeremy Suarez Abigail Breslin Jeff Goldblum Leonard Nimoy Samuel L. Jackson
Music by	Bruce Retief
Cinematography	Wayne Thornley
Editing by	Michel Smit Paul Speirs Luke MacKay
Studio	Triggerfish Animation Studios
Distributed by	Cinema Management Group (International) Sony Pictures Entertainment (English territories)
Release date(s)	3 July 2012 (2012-07-03)
Running time	82 minutes
Country	South Africa
Language	English
Budget	R173 million ($20 million)
Money made	$34.4 million

Zambezia (also called Adventures in Zambezia) is an exciting 3D animated adventure movie from South Africa. It was released in 2012. The film was directed by Wayne Thornley. It tells a fun story about birds.

The movie features the voices of famous actors. These include Jeremy Suarez, Abigail Breslin, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, and Samuel L. Jackson. It was the first movie made by Triggerfish Animation Studios. The film earned $34.4 million worldwide. It also won several awards for being a great animated movie.

The Story of Zambezia

The movie follows a young falcon named Kai. He lives in a quiet place with his strict father, Tendai. Kai feels bored and wants to explore the world. His father has told him not to leave their home.

One day, a friendly stork named Gogo and her small weaver bird friend, Tini, crash nearby. They tell Kai about a busy bird city downriver. This city is called Zambezia. Kai learns that his father knows about Zambezia and has even been there! Feeling upset, Kai decides to leave home. He wants to find this amazing bird city.

Kai's Journey to the Bird City

Kai travels downriver and finally reaches Zambezia. It's a huge city built on a giant Baobab tree. This tree is right next to the famous Victoria Falls. Kai is amazed by all the different birds living there. They are busy getting ready for the Spring Celebrations.

He quickly makes a new friend, a fast-talking nightjar named Ezee. Ezee shows Kai around the city. Kai also meets Zoe, a beautiful and strong black-shouldered kite. Zoe is the adopted daughter of Sekhuru, who founded Zambezia.

Kai accidentally messes up Zoe's Spring Celebration decorations. This makes a bad first impression. But Kai's amazing flying skills soon get him noticed. He earns a spot on the Hurricanes. This is a special team of the best fliers in Zambezia. They protect the city.

Danger Approaches Zambezia

While Kai is settling in, trouble is brewing. Some marabou storks, led by Cecil and Morton, are tired of being scavengers. They team up with a mean egg-eating lizard named Budzo. Their plan is to take over Zambezia.

Budzo captures Kai's father, Tendai. He also captures all the weaver birds, including Tini. Kai must now face his past and work with others. He learns that even the fastest flier needs help from friends. He has to save Zambezia and his father from Budzo and the storks.

Meet the Voices

Many talented actors lent their voices to the characters in Zambezia. Here are some of them:

• Jeremy Suarez as Kai, a young and adventurous peregrine falcon.
• Abigail Breslin as Zoe, a brave black-winged kite.
• Jeff Goldblum as Ajax, a lammergeier and the leader of the Hurricanes.
• Leonard Nimoy as Chief Sekhuru, an African fish-eagle. He is the wise elder who founded Zambezia.
• Samuel L. Jackson as Tendai, Kai's father. He is a skilled peregrine falcon and a former Hurricane.
• Jenifer Lewis as Gogo, a friendly saddle-billed stork who tells Kai about Zambezia.
• Jim Cummings as Budzo, a dangerous rock-monitor lizard who wants to invade Zambezia.
• Jamal Mixon as Ezee, a fun-loving nightjar who becomes Kai's friend.
• Richard E. Grant as Cecil, the leader of the marabou storks.
• David Shaughnessy as Morton, another marabou stork.
• Tania Gunadi as Tini, a small weaver bird and Gogo's friend.

Awards and Recognition

Zambezia received several awards and nominations. These show how well the film was made.

• In 2012, it won the Best South African Feature Film award at the Durban International Film Festival.
• It also won Best Animation at the South African Film and Television Awards.
• The film won Best Animation at the 9th Africa Movie Academy Awards.

The movie was also nominated for two Annie Awards. These awards celebrate excellence in animation.

Movie Soundtrack

The music for Zambezia was created by Bruce Retief. A soundtrack album was released on September 20, 2013. It includes all the songs and background music from the film.

The album has fourteen tracks. It features music composed by Bruce Retief himself. It also includes songs by other artists. These include Gang of Instrumentals, Zolani Mahola, and Ludovic Mampuya. You can find the soundtrack on music platforms like iTunes and Amazon.

Soundtrack Song List

Here is a list of the songs and music tracks from the Adventures in Zambezia soundtrack:

See also

In Spanish: Zambezia (película) para niños