Roger Hawkins (film director)

Born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, Hawkins graduated with a BSc degree in agriculture from the University of Natal.[2] After earning his BSc, he became a school teacher, advertising copywriter, fumigator, soil surveyor, research assistant, lounge pianist and landscape gardener.[2] Hawkins resigned from his job as a math teacher in 1993 to pursue a career in the performing arts. He staged a musical he wrote and directed called The Singer.[1] Following the success of The Singer, Hawkins produced the TV series Adventure Unlimited and the television film Choose Freedom.[2] He studied directing at the independent film school Raindance Film Festival.[2] Hawkins directed the 60-minute TV film Dr Juju, which was shot in six days.[2]

In 2003, Hawkins released his full-length animated feature film The Legend of the Sky Kingdom.[3] It was made in Harare and pioneered a technique called "junkmation".[3] The film was chosen among the top five of 1,300 entries at the World Animation Festival in France.[3] Hawkins worked with fifteen people and spent four years making the film.[3] The characters and sets in the film were made from discarded items such as car parts, tools, kitchen utensils, pipes and pieces of wood.[3]

• The Legend of the Sky Kingdom (2003)
• The Silent Fall (2006)
• Chose Freedom
• Dr Juju
• The Lion of Judah (2009)