By Staff Writer
MultiChoice Africa is thrilled to announce that the final students for the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Academy Class of 2019 have been chosen. After a two-month long rigorous selection process across 13 African countries, 60 aspiring filmmakers representing East Africa, Southern Africa and West Africa will begin their 12-month training programme at the MTF Academies in Nairobi, Lusaka & Lagos in October this year.
The final candidates were selected after a rigorous interview and adjudication process by film and television experts, as well as regional Academy Directors Njoki Muhoho (East Africa), Berry Lwando (Southern Africa) and Femi Odugbemi (West Africa). Launched in May 2018 as part of MultiChoice Africa’s ground-breaking corporate shared value (CSV) initiative, the MTF Academy is a 12-month fully-funded training programme aimed at upskilling the next generation of passionate young film creatives. As the first touchpoint of the shared-value initiative, the academy’s curriculum was tailored alongside MultiChoice Africa partner institutions Pan-Atlantic University in Lekki, Kenyatta University in Nairobi, and the University of Zambia in Lusaka, which will respectively confer the course qualification upon completion of the academy programme.
In addition, The Henley Business School offers an orientation intervention to the students at the beginning and end of the 12-month programme. The appetite for training opportunities across Africa is massive within the creative film and TV industry, according to MultiChoice Talent Factory Director Cheryl Uys-Allie, which is exactly why the MTF Academy programme was launched.“As one of the few industry players that not only tell African stories but also invest in them, the need for a dynamic training programme such as the MTF Academy has been a long time coming. As MultiChoice Africa, we always ask ourselves: what’s next in the industry, and how can we better prepare for it? The MTF Academy was the answer to that question: By giving young Africans the chance to hone their television and film production skills,” says Uys-Allie.The Class of 2019 is hot on the heels of the inaugural Class of 2018, who are ready to graduate and have their first films screened on M-Net channels and Showmax.
This year’s class will reap the additional rewards of -new partnerships between the MTF Academy and Jasco Broadcast Solutions as well as Nihilent with its connection to Bollywood, as well as existing partnerships with the New York Film Academy College of Visual & Performing Arts (NYFA), DOLBY Institute and Universal Music Nigeria (UMG). As part of their curriculum, the 2019 candidates will also be exposed to the MTF Masterclasses, aimed at upskilling industry professionals and emerging creatives alike by offering exclusive access to practical, expert-led industry skills workshops across the 13 participating countries. Here’s to another year of investing directly in Africa’s dynamic storytelling spirit through the MTF Academy!