When an actress known for scripted roles steps behind the microphone for a wildlife documentary, it signals that this is no ordinary nature film. Big Safari Adventure, a 62-minute experiential travel documentary set in Tanzania, is making its international sales debut at the 2026 American Film Market — and it brings Shaquita Smith along for her first-ever documentary narration.
Indie Rights, the independent film distribution company, is handling international sales for the project at AFM 2026. The market runs from November 10 through November 15 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles, where the film can be found in Suite 1020.
Written, directed, and executive produced by Beth Dewey, the feature was produced by Film Entity LLC through its nonfiction travel programming arm, Big Adventure Media. The film is already available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video, with plans to expand to Tubi, Plex, YouTube, and other platforms in the near future.
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In the documentary, Shaquita Smith — known for her acting work — makes her debut as a documentary narrator. Viewers follow a group of travelers as they explore Tanzania’s Northern Circuit, one of East Africa’s most famous wildlife regions. The journey takes them across sweeping savannas and into close encounters with elephants, lions, giraffes, and other wildlife, capturing both the thrill and the quieter surprises of an African safari.
Rather than following the conventions of traditional wildlife programming, Big Safari Adventure leans into the personal experiences of the travelers themselves. It emphasizes how encountering nature up close can be transformative, offering a more intimate and uplifting perspective on the genre.
The travelers featured in the film include Jabari Simba, Dorian Alexis, Susan Flynn, Jill SoChill, Nick Ippolito, and Shahan Suzmeyan.
Director Beth Dewey is no stranger to the independent film market. Her previous works represented by Indie Rights include Erasing Eden, which landed a distribution deal with Beijing Hualu New Media at the 2017 American Film Market, and the thriller Shadowlands.
The creative team behind Big Safari Adventure includes director of photography Quadeem Hall, additional camera operator Tom Bliss, production sound recordist Okê Gbèdolo, re-recording mixer John Chalfant, and colorist Yawen Hu. The film was produced under Big Adventure Media, the nonfiction travel and adventure division of Film Entity LLC, an independent production company that develops both scripted and unscripted film and television content.
Why it matters: With streaming platforms hungry for fresh nonfiction content that stands out from standard nature documentaries, Big Safari Adventure represents a growing trend toward experiential travel programming that centers human connection with wildlife. Its debut at AFM 2026 could signal a broader shift in how independent distributors approach the documentary market.
Beth Dewey
Film Entity, LLC
+1 323-839-9643
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Big Safari Adventure | Official Trailer – Tanzania Wildlife Documentary Narrated by Shaquita Smith
