My guest today is Jessica Rowlands, a two-time UCLA Screenwriting Award winner, spent much of her childhood between London and Zimbabwe, a place that remains a source of deep connection and inspiration. 

Her newest short film RISE, is the culmination of her three-year collaboration with Zimbabwean artists and communities, a film with Zimbabwe in its very DNA - from the landscapes of Victoria Falls to the creative team who brought it to life. It is both a celebration of overlooked voices and a call to protect the youngest and most vulnerable among us, reminding us that a little belief in a little person can go a long way.

With its celebration of found family, its insistence that no child be left unseen, and its message that belief and community can transform lives, RISE is more than a film -it is a call to courage, protection, and connection carried onto the world’s most prestigious stage.

Ladies and gentlemen, RISE was written and directed by Jessica Rowlands and filmed entirely in Zimbabwe with an all-African cast and crew, RISE is inspired by the extraordinary true story of Tobias Mupfuti, a boxing coach who transformed his own difficult childhood into a lifelong mission: to see and uplift children often overlooked. 

Through his academy and orphanage in Victoria Falls, Mupfuti has built a community where no child is unseen, creating a found family bound together by belief, support, and joy in the face of adversity. His close involvement in the filmmaking process brings authenticity and emotional truth to every frame.

At the heart of the story is breakout child actor Sikhanyiso Ngwenya, discovered through street casting at just eight years old, whose performance radiates vulnerability, strength, and hope. His work earned him Zimbabwe’s National Arts Merit Award (NAMA) for Outstanding Actor, making him the youngest winner in the award’s history. 

The moment this film was revealed to the world, the whispers of the Oscars had already began. A story of inspiration and encouragement to millions, if not billions of people from around the world. RISE shows us that one person can make a difference. 

Everything about this film is fantastic, the story, the cinematography, the music score and sound mixing and yes, the award winning performances of both Sikhanyiso Ngwenya and Tongayi Chirisa bring this true story of boxing coach Tobias Mupfuti to life. 

#zimbabwe #actors #filmmaking #filmmaker #filmdirector #boxing #inspiration #encouragement #facingfear #motivation #discipline #film #cinema #bondoncinema #oscars #academyawards