Highlife’s very own Bisa KDei’s remix to his song 2018 song ‘Asew’ has been featured in a Netflix Christmas musical which features Forest Whitaker. Bisa’s song was featured in a scene which shows the kids pelting each other with snowballs and journeys into a series of African dance moves. Although their ethnicity is not the point of their characters or of the scene, but their culture and heritage are seen and celebrated.

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a Christmas musical fantasy film written and directed by David E. Talbert. The film was released on Netflix on November 13, 2020.

A musical adventure and a visual spectacle for the ages, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a wholly fresh and spirited family holiday event. Set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, it’s up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (newcomer Madalen Mills) — and a long-forgotten invention — to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within.

From the imagination of writer-director David E. Talbert, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey reminds us of the strength of family and the power of possibility. Featuring original songs by John Legend, Philip Lawrence, Davy Nathan, and “This Day” performed by Usher and Kiana Ledé.

Samuel L. Jackson’s latest project, a docuseries which is looking to shed new light on 400 years of human trafficking from Africa to the New World, has been premiered. In this six-partere, the series uses a DNA test to identify Jackson’s ancestral tribe and trace his personal journey from the U.S. to Gabon for his induction into the Benga tribe. It was originally slated to debut this summer.

Each episode follows three stories: Jackson’s personal journey; the search for a sunken slave ship; and an “historical investigation” by “investigative archaeologist” Simcha Jacobovici and British writer/TV commentator Afua Hirsch. The first episode opens with Jackson’s trip to the vast country of Gabon, on the west coast of central Africa.

The show has used new diving technology to locate and examine sunken slave ships in the UK, the Caribbean and Florida, retrieving information and underwater artifacts that help reveal more about the transatlantic slave trade.

Fremantle has sold the show to 130 territories, including HISTOIRE TV (France), HISTORY (Germany), Movistar+ and RTVE (Spain), HBO Portugal (Portugal), BBC Earth (Poland), Discovery Film and Spektrum (Eastern Europe), Cosmote (Greece), BBC Persian (MENA), National Geographic (Latin America), M-Net (Africa, South Africa) and Cable & Wireless (Caribbean). The deals follows BBC Two picking up UK rights last month.

“Enslaved” is a Canada/U.K. co-production between Toronto-based Associated Producers and London-based Cornelia Street Productions. It is produced in association with Anonymous Content, along with UppiTV, Samuel and LaTanya Jackson’s production company. Fremantle holds the global distribution rights. “Enslaved” was produced with the participation of Rogers Cable Network Fund and Canada Media Fund, with the assistance of the Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit and the Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit.

The series is directed by Simcha Jacobovici. It is executive produced by Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Eli Selden, Rob Lee, Simcha Jacobovici, Ric Esther Bienstock, Sarah Sapper and Yaron Niski. Producers are Ric Esther Bienstock, Sarah Sapper and Felix Golubev.

The ‘Poacher’; a movie which seeks to highlight the significant international issue of illegal ivory trade by addressing the plight of Africa’s endangered elephant population is set to premiere on global american movie streaming service – Netflix on September 30. The Kenyan/British short film tells the story of a desperate farmer who runs into trouble after stealing a stash of illicit blood ivory from a gang of international terrorists.

It was filmed over six days in the Tsavo West National Park to the South East of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. The production involved over 30 cast and crew members. Director Tom Whitworth teased the first official still of the film on April 10 2018,announcing that cinematography was by Nathan Prior and Ishmael Azeli. It seems the short film was originally envisioned as a TV drama.

Poacher was released in August 2018, having been screened at the Short To The Point (STTP) Festival, and been selected for a Best Editing Award. The film premiered in Kenya at the ANGA IMAX Theatre on 10 November 2018 at the Kalasha International Film Awards in Nairobi. The film has also screened at the 2018 Moscow Shorts International Short Film Festival in September 2018 in Moscow.

It won the award for Best Short Film at the 8th Kalasha TV & Film Awards held in Nairobi on November 24, 2018, and bagged nominations for the Best Director, Best Director of Photography, Best Supporting Actor in a Film and Best Actor in a Film.

Ivory trade, which is the film’s premise, is fuelling catastrophic declines in the elephant and rhino populations in Kenya, Tanzania and throughout Africa. According to a UN report, weak governance and corruption have exacerbated the poaching crisis. At the same time, poverty has helped organised criminal elements recruit, bribe, and threaten locals, underpaid police, military personnel, and wildlife rangers to participate in wildlife crime.

Actress Yvonne Nelson’s movie Fix Us will start showing on streaming giant Netflix from Sunday, August 2. The movie, which premiered in December 2019 to positive reviews, joins a growing list of Ghanaian productions that have made it onto Netflix such as Peter Sedufia’s Keteke and Sidechic Gang and Shirley Frimpong-Manso’s Potato Potahto and The Perfect Picture – 10 Years Later.

Fix Us tells the story of three young ladies who go on a journey of faith and fate. When Naadie and Chioma played by Yvonne Nelson and Yvonne Okoro respectively and Jaya (Alexandra Amon) run into each other at a movie audition, they are bound by their common dream to be movie stars which encouraged them to build a strong friendship. When they eventually achieve their dreams of being movie stars, they realise they want more than what fame and money can acquire.

The cast include Yvonne Nelson, Yvonne Okoro, Prince David Osei, Michelle Attoh, Jessica Williams, Belinda Dzattah, Mona Montrage (Hajia4Real), musician Irene Logan; Nigeria’s Mofe Duncan and Tobi Bakre as well as Ivorian actress Alexandra Amon.