Both Worlds, Freeli Films Launch First U.S.-Africa Co-Production Partnership for Microdramas, With Taye Diggs Set to Star (EXCLUSIVE)

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, the companies announced at the Joburg Film Festival on Thursday. 

The productions will be shot in South Africa and across the continent, as well as in the U.S., with the companies saying in a statement that their content will be “designed first and foremost for South African, broader African and American audiences, and from there, for the world.”

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Taye Diggs — who previously collaborated with Freeli on the upcoming romantic drama “Another Man’s Wife” (pictured) — has been tapped to feature in the companies’ first co-productions, which will pair the U.S. star with established South African and African performers.

Freeli Films was built by CEO J. Carter with the explicit mission of centering Black stories and Black talent both in front of and behind the camera. The company says it’s setting out to prove that Black-led drama belongs at the center of the microdrama boom, rather than at its margins, and is looking to capitalize on its established relationships with major U.S. talent. 

Both Worlds brings nearly three decades of award-winning production work, a creative team with deep roots in African storytelling and broadcasting, and strong and tested distribution relationships. 

The co-productions with Freeli Films 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.

The banner’s slate will focus on hyperlocal African series, produced with local cast in local languages in South Africa and across the continent, as well as premium English-language co-productions with international partners such as Freeli Films, pairing South African and African screen talent with globally recognized performers. 

The banner’s distribution strategy is built around partnerships with major mobile operators across Africa, allowing it to capitalize on the continent’s billion-plus mobile viewers. That underserved demographic, the company says, makes Africa one of the “most significant growth markets” for a microdrama industry that’s projected to grow to $26 billion in annual revenue by 2030.

The partnership with Freeli Films marks the first in a series of international co-production agreements Both Worlds intends to establish under the Amazi banner, as the company builds a diversified global slate alongside its African-language originals program. The company began producing its first microdramas in November 2025, led by executive producer Flavia Motsisi and veteran head writer and executive producer Karen Jeynes. 

Motsisi, who will moderate a microdrama panel on March 5 at the JBX market, 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. And the partnership with Freeli Films is rooted in something we share: the conviction that representation is not a gesture towards an audience; it is the foundation the work is built on.” 

“We chose to partner with Freeli Films because we share the same starting point: the belief that the audience you’re making content for deserves to see itself on screen, fully and without compromise,” said Both Worlds executive chairman Thierry Cassuto. “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 said: “Partnering with Both Worlds is more than an international collaboration — it’s a strategic alignment rooted in culture, authenticity and scale. At Freeli Films, we believe in meeting Black audiences where they are, not where the industry assumes they should be. That means creating microdramas and feature films that reflect their realities, ambitions and global influence. 

“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,” he added. 

The Joburg Film Festival runs March 3 – 8 in Johannesburg, South Africa.