Ebbernezer and Kuda, who live just one floor apart, are brought together in a touching story of empathy, gratitude, and unexpected connection.

The two-minute short film is set in a slightly futuristic world where emotions are visible through glowing, battery-like devices worn on the arm. When Kuda loses his wallet, it’s found by Ebbernezer, a stranger living directly above him. Their once-parallel, disconnected lives intersect in a way that sparks a chain reaction of kindness.

Directed by Takudzwa Ishmael Mboma, the film stars Ebbernezer Muchuwa and Kuda Rice.

The short is part of the CANEX Shorts Competition, presented by Afreximbank’s Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) initiative. This pan-African platform celebrates the most exciting short films by young African and diaspora filmmakers.

The competition culminates in a screening and awards ceremony at CANEX at IATF2025, Africa’s largest creative summit. Prizes will be awarded for Best Fiction, Best Documentary, and Best Animation by an esteemed jury.

Each category winner receives a $2,000 cash prize, full travel sponsorship to Algeria, and access to a powerful network of creative industry leaders, investors, and policymakers.

Platforms like CANEX Shorts are helping propel African storytelling onto the global stage.

Kuda Rice is a multidisciplinary Zimbabwean artist, poet, writer, and creative director, whose work lives at the intersection of visual storytelling and lyrical narrative. In 2025, he won Zimbabwe’s National Arts Merit Award (NAMA) for Outstanding Poet and continues to build a cross-medium body of work exploring African identity, spirituality, and human connection.

Chikwama marks a bold step in his evolution as a filmmaker, adding to a growing portfolio of poetic films and collaborations with musicians, visual artists, and cultural institutions across Africa.