International Emmy-nominated South African production company Both Worlds and Atlanta-based outfit Freeli Films have launched a co-production partnership to develop and produce premium microdrama series and feature films, announced at the Joburg Film Festival on 5 March 2026.
Taye Diggs — who previously collaborated with Freeli on the upcoming romantic drama "Another Man's Wife" — has been tapped to star in the companies' first co-productions, pairing the U.S. star with established South African and African performers.
Freeli Films, led by CEO J. Carter, was built with the explicit mission of centering Black stories and Black talent both in front of and behind the camera. The company aims to prove that Black-led drama belongs at the center of the microdrama boom, not at its margins.
Both Worlds brings nearly three decades of award-winning production work, a creative team with deep roots in African storytelling and broadcasting, and strong distribution relationships.
The co-productions will form the premium international strand of Amazi, a new content brand and production entity established by Both Worlds to develop original short-form vertical content for African audiences, beginning in South Africa and expanding across the continent. Amazi's distribution strategy is built around partnerships with major mobile operators across Africa, capitalizing on the continent's billion-plus mobile viewers — what Both Worlds calls one of the "most significant growth markets" for a microdrama industry projected to grow to $26 billion in annual revenue by 2030.
Executive producer Flavia Motsisi has been tapped as Amazi's chief creative officer. "Africa has always had dynamic and extraordinary stories. What has been missing is a format built for the way Africans actually watch — on the phone, in local languages, in content that reflects their own lives," said Motsisi. "Amazi is our answer to that."
Both Worlds executive chairman Thierry Cassuto said: "South Africa and Africa have exceptional talent, on both sides of the camera, that the world hasn't seen yet. Amazi is the platform that changes that. And Freeli is exactly the right partner to help us take it further than we could alone."
Freeli Films CEO J. Carter added: "Super-serving the African and African American consumers isn't a niche strategy — it's the future of storytelling. When we invest in stories that honor the depth, complexity and buying power of African audiences, we're not just expanding markets — we're building legacy."
Source: variety.com