L-R (Deputy Vice Chancellor, Kenyatta University, Prof. Waceke Wanjohi, Multichoice Talent Factory Alumni Ashley Kendi, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy & Sports, Hon. Ababu Namwamba).
Nairobi, December 7th 2023
BY NJOKI KARANJA.
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Academy East Africa class of 2023 graduated at Hermosa Gardens in Karen sending another crop of talented young and vibrant film and TV industry professionals to the industry.This year’s cohort comprised 20 students from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia – all talented, passionate creatives, ready to embark on the next phase of their careers making African content for African audiences.The MTF Academy is an industry-development training programme launched by MultiChoice across Africa in 2018 to develop the continent’s next generation of storytellers.
“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.Over the past 12 months, MTF graduates immersed themselves in a comprehensive program encompassing screenwriting, editing, producing, and directing. Practical skills were honed through a blend of training, study, and hands-on experience in TV and film productions.
As a culmination of their curriculum, students developed feature films set to broadcast in the coming weeks on MultiChoice local channels and showmax.Launched in 2018 by MultiChoice as an industry-development training program across Africa, the MTF Academy has already nurtured approximately 300 young professionals, equipping them with crucial industry skills to ensure high production quality, global competitiveness, and outstanding content tailored for African viewers.
Multichoice Talent Factory Academy Graduates class of 2023
The impact of MTF East Africa Academy graduates on the regional film and TV industry is evident. We are already seeing films by seeing films by MTF alumni from East Africa being recognized through awards across the continent. 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 Maisha Magic East channel, Showmax and Honey Channel. This is a great indicator for 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 recognize this year’s cohort, we are passionate to produce 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 organizations and grow their skills through internships at industry leading MTF partner organizations.