Hamid Ibrahim

Career Success

Ugandan-born Hamid Ibrahim chose to pursue his life-long passion for creativity by studying Digital Animation at Herts.

After graduating in 2017, Hamid joined the visual effects studio Moving Picture Company, where he worked on feature films such as the live-action remake of the Lion King in 2019. Alongside this, in 2017 he also co-founded his entertainment company, Kugali Media, before pursuing it full-time. Kugali tells stories inspired by African culture, through art, comic books, and augmented reality.

In 2020, Walt Disney Animation Studios announced that it was to join forces with Hamid Ibrahim, and his entertainment company Kugali, to create an original African sci-fi series for Disney+.  In what was the first of its kind collaboration for Disney Animation, the series, titled Iwájú, explores the themes of class, innocence, and challenging the status quo.

Hamid says, 'I still remember watching the Lion King (1994) as a kid when I was growing up. Hearing them speaking Swahili, a language that I speak myself, in a big-picture animation like that was inspiring. From that moment on I knew what I wanted to do; it was my dream to share the stories of my people with the world.'

Herts Learning

'The skills I learned at the University of Hertfordshire were vital to my career. My course gave me a solid foundation where I was taught how to create beautiful animations and visual effects, learning from tutors who themselves had worked on big Hollywood blockbusters.'

Looking to the future of his professional life, he says, 'I’m excited about Kugali's collaboration with Disney and I’m looking forward to building the world of Iwájú.'