It’s time for a fun and innocent, but also relatable and valuable animation! Courtesy of Black Sheep Films, Maya the Bee 3: The Golden Orb is set to be released in cinemas nationwide on 23 April and it is the perfect family movie with life lessons for all ages. Through Maya’s exciting adventures and her journey of self-discovery, kids will be able to identify experiences in their own lives, opening up a whole list of family conversation starters.

If you’re a Maya the Bee fan, you’ll know that the first film was all about Maya discovering her personal identity and her role in the meadow. In the second film, Maya ventured beyond the meadow to a new hive where her positive and optimistic world-views got challenged by some bullies and a rival that bends the rules to serve her own needs. In Maya’s third journey of self-discovery, the rug of familiarity gets pulled out from under her feet (or is it wings?) as she ventures to a completely new land with her best friend, Willi and the popular ant duo, Arnie and Barnie by her side.

As with the previous films, Maya the Bee 3: The Golden Orb’s story line is filled with real-world experiences that kids from the age of I would say 3 can relate to. These challenges and happenings are brilliantly balanced with comedy, fun and excitement that will keep kids (and parents) on the edge of their seats.

“Maya is such an endearing, iconic character that many children relate to. Through her experiences they enjoy discovering concepts of friendship, trust, personal identity, and living life to the fullest, all played out through her stories.” – Director, Noel Cleary

The Studio 100 film kicks off with the most beautiful animation of the first day of spring and Maya counting down the minutes to the first spring sunrise. It’s not too long before havoc hits, though. Spring is late and the sun doesn’t fully hit the sacred sunstone – the signifier of spring – and no one awakens from their hibernation. Maya takes it upon herself to fix it and convinces Willi to go see the glow worms with her, as they always light up on the first day of spring, but they also overslept and things start catapulting from there real quick. Sooner than later, the Queen Bee punishes Maya and Willy for not behaving and while collecting sap (the worst chore to do as punishment) they run into their next adventure: Delivering the golden orb to the ant colony on Bonsai Peak.

In the third Maya the Bee movie, there’s certainly never a dull moment. From riding huge glow worms and being asked to deliver the baby ant princess (whom they’ve aptly named Smoosh) to her ant colony, to losing the princess among the chaos of a market bustling with exotic and unusual bugs and negotiating with rather intimidating Boom Bugs who are contemplating an ant and beetle battle.

Maya’s character relates beautifully with young children still discovering themselves in a world where things don’t always make sense. She meets characters along the way that have a hugely positive impact on her emotional growth, but she also meets characters that challenge her emotionally. The way in which she stands up to these challenging characters (and challenging happenings) is a great example as to how kids relating to her character should tackle life’s challenges – whether it’s a bully at school, a best friend not catching your drift or strangers not understanding your leadership style and hunger for adventure.

Maya the Bee 3: The Golden Orb is a must-watch movie with lots of lessons to take home. It’s an inspiration for all ages with wonderful animation and although the story revolves around a bee, it is a welcome reminder of what it means to be human and that many of life’s challenges can be overcome with a bit of humanity.

XOXOXO