MultiChoice Africa has revealed the 60 hopefuls who have been chosen to be the first students of the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy. The candidates were chosen after a two-months long process of shortlisting candidates from over 3,000 entries from 13 countries in Africa, this was followed by a rigorous interview and adjudication process by a group of film and television industry experts and regional Academy Directors.
The 20 future filmmakers from East Africa were selected based on their industry related qualifications and skills, as well as their passion to narrate Africa’s unique stories. Uganda will be represented by Aaron Tamale, Casey Lugada, Hilda Awori and Cissy Nalumansi at the Kenya-based MTF Academy from October 1st. MultiChoice Africa will sponsor the students’ tuition, accommodation and stipend for the duration of their training in each regional hub.
The MTF Academy students will be provided with skillsets to develop their talent, connect with industry professionals and tell authentic African stories through a comprehensive curriculum comprising theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling.
“We’re exceptionally impressed with the calibre of young Africans chosen to be part of the inaugural MultiChoice Talent Factory. Their applications illustrated their passion for the continent – they talk about making African stories go viral and getting international audiences addicted to high-quality and engaging local content,” says award-winning script writer Njoki Muhoho, who will spearhead the East Africa MTF Academy hub in Kenya.
During the programme, MTF Academy students will produce television and film content that will be aired on our local M-Net channels across the MultiChoice platform including Africa Magic, Maisha Magic East, Maisha Magic Bongo, Zambezi Magic, M-Net and SuperSport to reach African audiences on the DStv and GOtv platforms. Upon graduation from the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy, the MTF student will leave with the knowledge and skills to contribute professionally to Africa’s film and television industry.
“As a company that is deeply rooted in Uganda we understand that many young, aspiring filmmakers have the capacity to learn and strengthen their skillset to give back to their communities, but may not be financially equipped to do so. The MultiChoice Talent Factory focuses on making sure that those gems are nurtured and their talent developed in order to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s creative industry,” said Tina Wamala, Corporate Affairs Manager.