The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Academy East Africa class of 2023 graduated today at Hermosa Gardens in Karen, bringing with them a new generation of bright and driven young professionals from the film and television industries.
20 students from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia made up this year’s cohort; they are all gifted, driven creatives prepared to take their careers to the next level by producing African content for consumers in their own continent.
Designed to nurture the next generation of African storytellers, MultiChoice established the MTF Academy, an industry-development training initiative, throughout the continent in 2018.
“We are dedicated to keeping East Africa’s storytelling tradition alive in a way that is relevant to modern audiences.
We do that by choosing the most talented aspiring filmmakers and empowering them with the latest cutting-edge skills. We are proud of this year’s graduates, and we know they will take the East African film industry to greater heights,” noted Victoria Goro, Academy Directory, MTF East Africa.
MTF graduates have spent the last twelve months fully engaged in a comprehensive curriculum that includes producing, directing, editing, and screenwriting.
Training, education, and on-the-job training in TV and film productions were combined to develop practical skills. Student films that were produced as a capstone project for their coursework will air in the upcoming weeks on Showmax and local MultiChoice stations.
MultiChoice established the MTF Academy in 2018 as an industry-development training programme for young professionals in Africa. Since then, it has trained about 300 professionals and given them the industry skills they need to guarantee global competitiveness, excellent content for African audiences, and high production quality.
There’s no denying the graduates of the MTF East Africa Academy’s influence on the local film and television industries. Already, films are being shown.
Engaito won Best MTF Film at the recent eighth AMVCA awards, Egna secured the Best International Award at the Kalasha International Film Festival in Nairobi, and Wavamizi received the Chairman’s Award at the Zanzibar International Film Festival,” added Ms. Goro.
“We are seeing production companies started by MTF East Africa alumni producing local films under the Maisha Magic East channel, Showmax channel, and Honey channel. This is a great indicator of the success and growth of the industry. Our alumni are contributing to the continent-wide move towards inspired storytelling, keeping viewers and communities informed, entertained, and connected,” added Ms. Goro.
On his part, Nzola Miranda, Managing Director, MultiChoice Kenya, noted: “MTF East Africa plays a pivotal role in growing the next cohort of African storytellers by providing a talent pipeline for local productions. As we recognise this year’s cohort, we are passionate about producing motivated young individuals with the required skill set needed to create high-quality African content for African audiences.
“As Kenya’s most loved storyteller, we see MTF East Africa Academy as the crucial pathway to ensuring that we tell more African stories,” concluded Mr. Miranda.
This year, outstanding graduates will have the opportunity to further enhance their skills through internships with leading MTF partner organisations and grow their skills through internships at industry-leading MTF partner organisations.
