Afro-Futuristic Animation 'Utopia' Secures Global Distribution Deals

In the past two weeks, the upcoming animated feature "Utopia" has secured distribution deals in the United States, Spain, Japan, and Sweden. Directed by Rafhael Barbosa, the film is set in 1695 and follows a family of slaves who organize a rebellion to flee in search of the utopian Quilombo dos Palmares community.

The production has also lined up lauded Brazilian actor Rejane Faria and French-Angolan anchor Matamba Joaquim to voice key roles. Faria is known for her work in films like "Mars One" and "The Best Mother in the World," while Joaquim starred in Alejandro Amenábar's "The Captive." Additionally, the team has secured Anderson Mahanski, the animation director behind Netflix's hit "Super Drags," as the animation director and associate producer for "Utopia."

Barbosa's label, La Ursa Cinematográfica, is dedicated to producing original works by emerging Black artists that bring contemporary approaches to Black stories. The film has been selected as one of the pitching projects at Ventana Sur Animation!, a prominent market in Buenos Aires focused on promoting Latin American film and TV. Barbosa highlights how the story seeks to reinterpret the narrative of the Quilombo dos Palmares, the longest-lasting and most organized refuge for enslaved Africans outside of Africa, from an Afro-futurist and Afro-surrealist perspective.