Zambezia (film)

Zambezia (also known as Adventures in Zambezia) is a 2012 English-language South African 3D computer-animated adventure film. The film was directed by Wayne Thornley, written by Andrew Cook, Raffaella Delle Donne, and Anthony Silverston, and stars the voices of Jeremy Suarez, Abigail Breslin, Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, and Samuel L. Jackson with supporting roles done by Jim Cummings, Richard E. Grant, Jenifer Lewis, Jamal Mixon, and David Shaughnessy. It is the first film produced by Triggerfish Animation Studios and distributed by Cinema Management Group and Sony Pictures in English territories.

Zambezia was theatrically released on 3 July 2012 and earned $34.4 million on a R173 million ($20 million) budget. It received Annie Award nominations for Music in an Animated Feature Production and for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production. The film won the Best South African Feature Film at the Durban International Film Festival in 2012. It also won Best Animation at the South African Film and Television Awards and Best Animation at the 9th Africa Movie Academy Awards.

Plot
Kai is a naive, but high-spirited young Peregrine falcon who lives with his father Tendai. After a visit from Gogo and Tini, Kai travels to "Zambezia", a bustling bird city on the edge of the majestic Victoria Falls where he discovers the truth about his origins and learns how to be part of the community. While learning of his father's past, Kai ends up having to work with Zambezia's defenders called the "Hurricanes" to protect Zambezia from Budzo, a monstrous rock-monitor who has persuaded the Marabous (who have been left out of the development of Zambezia) to help him with his invasion.

Voice cast

 * Jeremy Suarez as Kai, a peregrine falcon.
 * Abigail Breslin as Zoe, a black-winged kite.
 * Jeff Goldblum as Ajax, a lammergeier who is the leader of the Hurricanes.
 * Leonard Nimoy as Chief Sekhuru, an African fish-eagle who is the elder of Zambezia and had lost one of his wings in an earlier battle.
 * Samuel L. Jackson as Tendai, a peregrine falcon, former member of the Hurricanes, and Kai's father
 * Jenifer Lewis as Gogo, a saddle-billed stork who tells Kai about Zambezia
 * Jim Cummings as Budzo, a rock-monitor who seeks to invade Zambezia
 * Jamal Mixon as Ezee, a nightjar
 * Richard E. Grant as Cecil, the leader of the marabou storks
 * David Shaughnessy as Morton, a marabou stork
 * Noureen DeWulf as Pavi, an African sacred ibis
 * Tania Gunadi as Tini, a weaver bird and Gogo's friend.
 * Deep Roy as Mushana, a green pigeon
 * Phil LaMarr as an African grey parrot, the arrival announcer for Zambezia
 * LaMarr also voices Dodo, a guineafowl
 * Corey Burton as Neville, a Lilian's lovebird
 * Kelly Stables as a Gossip Bird
 * Kristen Rutherford as a Gossip Bird
 * Tress MacNeille as Neville's wife, a Lilian's lovebird
 * Lee Duru as Nursery Bird
 * Zolani Mahola as a weaver

Tom Kenny, Wayne Thornley, Jon Olson, Brent Palmer, and Jim Cummings provide the voices of various marabou in the film. Sam Riegel and Keeno Lee Hector provided the voices of various Hurricanes.

Release
Zambezia was theatrically released on 3 July 2012 by Cinema Management Group and Sony Pictures Entertainment in English territories and was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 24 April 2013 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Accolades
The film won the Best South African Feature Film at the Durban International Film Festival in 2012. It also won Best Animation at the South African Film and Television Awards and Best Animation at the 9th Africa Movie Academy Awards.

Soundtrack
The original motion picture soundtrack for the film was written, composed and produced by Bruce Retief, which was released on 20 September 2013 through Triggerfish in digital download. It includes fourteen tracks, with music from Retief as the film's score composer, and studio performances from various artists, including Gang of Instrumentals, Zolani Mahola (who also provided the voice of a weaver in the film), and Ludovic Mampuya. It is available on iTunes and on Amazon.

Track listing
All music written and composed by Bruce Retief, except where noted.