A local writer and film-maker hopes his new animated short film will encourage young Bermudians to pursue careers in the arts.

Alex-André Bassett’s film, The Kazi: Village Rescue, was inspired by growing up in Bermuda and a short story he wrote when moving overseas almost ten years ago.

The Bermuda Arts Council’s $1,000 Onion Bulb Grant helped launch the project, which has been two years in the making and centres on teenage islander Andreas’s mission to save the world from corruption.

Mr Bassett partnered with Canadian animation company NaniMoco Studios, whose employees have worked on Disney and Netflix shows, to complete the short film.

He said: “Village Rescue will follow Andreas on one of his side quests to investigate a mysterious threat to a local village community.

“While at that village, he must partner with an unlikely sidekick to face a menacing threat that’s going to destroy the entire region.”

He added: “Developing the story and animation style took a few years of trial and error to perfect and now I have the right team to bring this film to life.”

Mr Bassett said the project, presented by Brooklyn-based Loquat Films LLC, is a “love letter to my island culture and a love letter to the entire community that raised me and so many others”.

A statement said: “As a Bermudian creative, Mr Bassett hopes the film will highlight the growing potential of animation and storytelling coming out of the island, while encouraging local youth to see the arts as a viable and impactful career path.”

He also hopes it will inspire young men to “be strong, take risks and be protectors of their families and communities”.

Mr Bassett plans to raise an additional $30,000 to fund voice acting, sound design, completing animation and post-production for the project.

An online kickstarter for the film is expected to be live from January 20 until February 20, donors can receive limited-edition merchandise.

The statement concluded: “The Kazi: Village Rescue stands as a celebration of Bermudian creativity, Afrofuturist storytelling and the belief that heroes can rise from anywhere, even the smallest of islands.”

• Visit @thekazivillagerescue on Instagram, Loquat Films on YouTube and The Kazi: Village Rescue Facebook page to stay updated on the project.