In terms of dynamics, Halima uses Unreal Engine and is in charge of set design. She also co-wrote the script with Nildo, the film’s director, movie editor, animator, and even mocap actor.Speaking to some of the challenges the pair faced early on, Nildo stated, “One of the main struggles that we’ve been having over the years is that whenever we talk about our project to potential investors, they don’t take this project very seriously.”
Reflecting on the project prior to receiving the MegaGrant, Halima added, “No one would believe that a Mozambican company, especially made by young people, would do this…So we struggled a lot with funding.”
Nildo stated, “So, for us, having the MegaGrant, and having the Epic Games team behind this project basically legitimizes our project,” he added, “Kibwe is a very important project, mostly because the animation industry and movie production here in Mozambique is basically non-existent. Our local TV station would mainly show us content that comes from abroad, and we thought that our kids needed something that they would be able to identify themselves with,” adding, “We tried our best to make our characters look as African as possible and as Mozambican as possible. And for us, that’s why this project is even more important.”
Elaborating on some of the passion behind the project, Halima stated, “We don’t want this movie to be just made in Mozambique. We would like for it to be made in Mozambique by Mozambican people.”
Source: Unreal Engine Blog