The MultiChoice Talent Factory journey has begun for another cohort of students at MTF East Africa. MTF has launched the academic year for this year’s intake, as they begin learning the filmmaking and production skills that will empower them to work in the industry.
The Nairobi MTF Academy is one of three in Africa – the other two are in Lagos (West Africa), and Lusaka (Southern Africa).
Long recognised as a pipeline of creative excellence producing talented young graduates, the MTF Academy will put 20 students through a nine-month course to develop their skills in fields such as storytelling, cinematography, production and editing.
This year’s MTF East Africa course has a slightly redesigned curriculum. The nine-month course will consist of six months of online learning and three months of physical, in-person training. The MTF Academy remains accredited with Kenyatta University.
“We welcome this year’s MTF students,” says MTF East Africa Academy Director Victoria Goro. “They join the family of alumni who have come through the MTF ranks and become highly respected professionals in East African film and TV. While we’ve made a few adjustments to our programme, these changes have enabled us to operate more efficiently ensuring we continue to deliver the industry’s leading training platform.”
Goro says the MTF Academy continues to provide the training that empowers young African creators to tell African stories, so that African audiences can see themselves in the hyperlocal content they love.
“The primary goal of MTF is to grow the African film and television industry,” she says. “In the years since our establishment in 2018, we have produced hundreds of qualified filmmakers, with many alumni going on to careers at MultiChoice, or as successful entrepreneurs in various parts of our industry.”
MTF students are chosen after a gruelling, multi-stage application process. During their training, they will receive hands-on instruction from leading industry professionals, and ultimately collaborate to create a student film that will be shown on MultiChoice channels such as Maisha Magic Bongo and Maisha Magic East.
Among this year’s selected students from Ethiopia are Anteneh Girma, Ashenafi Mesfin, Lidiya Mitiku, and Nahom Bahru — a testament to the growing pool of creative talent in the country and MultiChoice’s commitment to nurturing local storytellers.
“MTF students can look forward to an exciting learning experience that will equip them to meet the needs of the industry, and to create work that will inspire African audiences for decades to come,” said Goro. “Having witnessed the talent and potential of this year’s cohort, we’re assured that the future of our industry is bright and will continue to thrive.”
This is the eighth cohort of students to enter the MTF Africa programme, in what has become the recognised source of new filmmaking talent on the continent.