MultiChoice has welcomed the latest cohort of 20 young and passionate filmmakers to its MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) West Africa Academy in Lagos, as the MTF Class of 2024 starts its fully funded, year-long course of training in film and television.
The students consisting of a diverse group of males and females from Nigeria and Ghana, were chosen after a rigorous six-week selection process of interviews and adjudication by film and television experts, as well as regional academy directors.
The MTF West Africa Academy is one of three on the continent, where students spend 12 months in workshops, lectures, and masterclasses, gaining skills in screenwriting, editing, various elements of production, directing and the business of film, amongst others.
These are done through rich theoretical training and immersive experience working on TV and film productions, all geared to broadening their skill sets and empowering them to work in various creative disciplines – not only the film industry.
“Every year, a new set of MTF graduates are released into the West African film and television industry, and they inject fresh ideas, energy and enthusiasm into the local creative sector,” MTF West Africa Academy Director, Atinuke Ngozi Babatunde said.
“Last year, our students achieved great success, with some already entering negotiations with Africa Magic to show their films on the channel. We are proud to be shaping Africa’s creative industries and excitedly look forward to working with this year’s cohort.”
Since its establishment in 2018, the MTF Academies across Africa have produced over 200 qualified young filmmakers, who are now taking African stories to the world. An MTF survey found that around 92% of MTF Academy graduates go on to work in the creative sector.
“As Africa’s most loved storyteller, MultiChoice sees the MTF Academy as an investment in our business and the future of our industry,” Mr Babatunde said.
“Many MTF graduates later join MultiChoice productions, while others start their businesses and become our partners and suppliers in the industry.”
The rich experience at the MTF is made possible through partnerships. In West Africa, the MTF Academy curriculum is designed in partnership with one of Nigeria’s most prestigious universities the Pan Atlantic University (PAU) in Lagos, which confers qualifications to students upon completion of the programme.
On the international scene, partnerships with the world-renowned New York Film Academy (NYFA) and Zee World, one of Nigeria’s most loved Bollywood channels, contribute to significantly enriching the learning experience of MTF students.
The final stage of the course sees students developing feature films for broadcast on MultiChoice’s local channels and Showmax.
This year’s MTF Academy intake follows in the footsteps of several highly successful cohorts of students who have won awards, had their work shown on major platforms and gone on to great career success.
Three productions from the MTF Class of 2023 students The Delectable Azeezah Sama, Dark Echoes, and With Love from Bayelsa received nominations at international film festivals.
Many alumni have commissioning discussions with Akwaaba Magic and Africa Magic while several others work on Africa Magic productions.
The four students from Ghana are Marilyn Esi Arko Abaisie, Nene Ayiko Ocansey, Charles Mensah, and Prince Dorwu. They would be resident at the MTF Academy in Lagos for the next twelve months relearning the art of making film.
“We welcome this year’s MTF students to the MultiChoice family,” Mr Babatunde said, “and look forward to thoroughly equipping them to take African stories to the world, and produce relevant, hyperlocal content for markets across the continent.”