Twenty Nigerian and Ghanaian students have been selected for the 2020 edition of the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) West Africa Academy, a tuition-free film and TV training programme.
The 20 students were chosen from thousands of applicants after a month-long rigorous process. They underwent a standard interview and adjudication process by a group of leading film and television industry experts.
They will commence their studies at the Pan-Atlantic University, Lekki, Lagos, where they will be provided with training and hands-on experience in the film industry, with a focus on storytelling, production, audio and directing among other key areas.
The students will also learn directly from leading African and international industry experts, work on live sets of local TV productions and create original content aired on local M-Net channels across the MultiChoice platforms – DStv, GOtv and Showmax.
Commenting on expectations from the 2020 class, Director, MTF West Africa Academy, Femi Odugbemi said: “We are very excited to welcome the Class of 2020 and to begin a new journey of discovery. We learn filmmaking by making films and that process of hands-on exposure and learning from the best industry leaders remains our path to infusing the passion of our students with creative power.”
During an interaction with the new MTF students, Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe reiterated that MultiChoice remains committed to enhancing the skills of professionals practising in the African movie industry.
He said, “MultiChoice is committed to enriching lives by improving the skills of talent in the film and television industry and the success of these students will over time, deliver a more professionalized, networked film and television industry across Africa and an expanded community of highly skilled professionals who are passionate about creating quality home-grown content.”
The MTF Academy is a 12-month fully funded training launched in May 2018 to unearth skilled and talented movie professionals that can produce high-quality content that resonates with African viewers.
The pioneer set graduated in September.
Pan-Atlantic University, New York Film Academy, Dolby and Universal Music Group partnered with MultiChoice to train the pioneer graduates of the MTF Academy.