With their broad smiles, occasionally growing into hearty laughter, and wide-eyed excitement, they could be taken for jackpot winners. It could not have been otherwise. The opportunity with which they have been presented is a jackpot of some sort, better even. Twenty of them, comprising sixteen young Nigerians and four Ghanaians, chuckled non-stop as they waited to be unveiled on 8 October as the first first batch of students admitted into the West African regional academy of the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Project, a continent-wide initiative conceived to find and equip the next generation of African film and television professionals with skills required to tell authentic African stories through a comprehensive curriculum comprising theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling.
The MTF Academies, three in number, are a major component of the MTF initiative. The two others are located in Nairobi, Kenya (for the East African region), and Lusaka, Zambia (for the Southern African region).
Each of the three regional academies has admitted 20 students, who are currently undergoing a fully funded one-year academic and practical training programme. While at the academy, headed by local industry experts and working with creative organizations, regulatory as well as government bodies, the students will be provided education in all aspects of film and television production to enable them launch successful careers in the creative industry. Each of the students waiting to be unveiled at the MultiChoice office in Lagos knew he or she had scaled a major hurdle on the road to professional renown.
Across Africa, there were over 3,000 applications for 60 available slots, a testament to the stiffness of the competition for places. The importance of the occasion was reflected by the high-profile guests it attracted. In attendance were Dr. Ziblim Iddi, Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture; Mr. Steve Ayorinde, Lagos State Commissioner for Arts, Tourism and Culture; and Mr. John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, among others.
Speaking at the occasion, Ayorinde said the students should consider themselves lucky for the opportunity they have and urged them to make good use of it, as the much is expected of them. “What MultiChoice did deserves huge commendation and these 20 students should consider themselves lucky. They need to acknowledge the fact that stakeholders in the entertainment industry in Nigeria and across the continent expect a lot from them and the students on their part should make good use of this opportunity given to them,” he said.
The Ghanaian Deputy Minister for Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture spoke in similar vein. He described the opportunity the students have been given as “life changing” and advised the students to be committed to learning. Dr. Iddi also commended MultiChoice for initiating the MTF Project.
Explaining the decision to commit resources to the Project, Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, said it was borne out of the need to nurture and polish the raw film and television talents that abound in Africa, adding that the MTF Academy will provide the ambience for students to acquire the skills required to produce top-tier movie and television content and learn the business of filmmaking.
“The film and television industry is the pioneer of creative industries in Africa and is particularly relevant as a tool for shaping the African narrative. We have been telling authentic and well-produced stories that only Africans themselves can tell. Nevertheless, there is a lot of raw talent that need to be nurtured and polished. The Academy will give such talent the opportunity to hone their skills, thereby increasing the pool of world-class talent within the industry. It’s also about teaching the selected candidates the business of film and television,” he said.
In addition to learning, the Academy will also provide students the opportunity of networking with established industry professionals. Femi Odugbemi, an accomplished professional and Director of the West African regional Academy said the students are being prepared to assume key roles in Africa’s film and television industry.