RISE, the Oscar®-qualifying short film from award-winning filmmaker Jessica J. Rowlands continues to build global momentum with the announcement that Oscar®-nominated filmmaker, photographer, and activist Misan Harriman has joined as executive producer. The film, already in contention for the 98th Academy Awards®, has emerged as a landmark work of African cinema.
Harriman, Chair of London’s Southbank Centre, is one of the most widely shared visual storytellers of this generation. In 2020, he became the first Black photographer in British Vogue’s 104-year history to shoot its September cover. His striking work ranges from documenting global civil rights movements to photographing cultural icons including Meghan Markle & Prince Harry, Angelina Jolie, Jay-Z, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Rihanna, and Cate Blanchett. His debut film, The After starring David Oyelowo, became Netflix UK’s first original short and earned him an Academy Award® nomination in 2024.
Beyond his creative career, Harriman is a committed activist and philanthropist, serving as an Ambassador for Save the Children and using his art to support causes from mental health awareness to diversity and inclusion. Named byThe Evening Standard as “the most talked about photographer of our time,” Harriman continues to use his platform to expand opportunities for artists globally.
Written and directed by Rowlands and filmed on location in Zimbabwe with an all-African cast and crew, RISE tells the true story of Tobias Mupfuti, a boxing coach who overcame hardship to mentor vulnerable children through his academy and orphanage in Victoria Falls. The film stars breakout child actor Sikhanyiso Ngwenya, whose performance earned Zimbabwe’s National Arts Merit Award, alongside international Zimbabwean star Tongayi Chirisa (Mayfair Witches, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts).
Following its historic Tribeca premiere, the first-ever Zimbabwean film selected by the festival, RISE won the Social Impact Award at the Oscar®-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, further cementing its eligibility and visibility for the 2026 Academy Awards®.
“With RISE, Jessica Rowlands has created something both profoundly personal and universally urgent,” said Harriman. “The courage, hope, and humanity in this film moved me deeply, and I’m honored to help bring its message to the widest possible audience.”
