Media Hub
WIDESPREAD ENTRIES FOR THE MULTICHOICE TALENT FACTORY ACADEMY SHOWS A NEED TO GROW AFRICA’S FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY
Published: 19.07.2018
The inaugural MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) academies have
received an overwhelming response to the month-long call to entry campaign,
which closed on 05 July 2018. Over
3 100 entries were received during this period, with Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia
producing the largest number respectively.
“The extensive response we have received from across the 13 participating markets in western, eastern and southern Africa, indicates that there is a tremendous need for a comprehensive educational programme of MTF’s magnitude,” says Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia’s General Manager. “It illustrates that emerging African creatives, are eager to further their post-school education, as well as advance their skills and industry experience, but are not always financially equipped to follow their passion,” he continues.
During the selection process, which is currently underway, 60 of the most noteworthy candidates will receive the opportunity to hone their television and film production skillsduring the year-long, funded programme that begins on 01 October 2018.
The comprehensive MTF curriculumwill provide participants theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing and audio production with a focus on storytelling. It will be delivered at three MTF academies that will be overseen by an experienced Academy Director, in collaboration with tertiary education institution. MTF students will learn from the best in the African film industry: Ms Njoki Muhoho, an award-winning script writer, will head up the MTF academy in eastern Africa and will be joined by colleagues, Mr Femi Odugbemi, a renowned film director and producer, who will oversee western Africa and Mr Berry Lwando, who has over 28 years of broadcasting experience, and will run the southern African academy.
“Beyond South Africa, southern Africa’s film and TV industry is developing – we’d like to contribute to change with the MultiChoice Talent Factory and give southern African youth the potential to dream big. We are exceptionally pleased with the widespread response we received” says Berry Lwando.
While MTF has already garnered overwhelming support from public and private stakeholders, such as governments and creative organisations, this initiative is open to collaborating with other players in the entertainment sector in order to ignite Africa’s creative industries into becoming vibrant, economic powerhouses.
Join the MTF social media conversation on the hashtag #multichoicetalentfactory to find out who the successful MTF applicants are, and follow:
Note to Editors:
About the MTF
THe African continent is steeped in a rich and diverse history of living passionately through language, art, music and colourful storytelling. As the continent continues to change rapidly, the entertainment industry has become ever more relevant. MultiChoice Africa has identified an opportunity in this fast changing environment – one that will leave a lasting impact on the creative industry as a whole.
In 2018, the company established the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a social investment initiative aimed at igniting Africa’s creative industries and growing them into vibrant, economic powerhouses. As a business born and bred in Africa, we have a long term commitment to making a socio-economic difference and creating shared value in the countries in which we operate. As such, we launched the MTF to positively impact the technical and professional value chain in the film and television industry across the continent. Established in partnership with stakeholders across the continent, MTF aims at providing the creative industries with a platform to learn and develop their talent, engage and connect with each other through their shared passions across three touchpoints which include the MTF Academy.
The MTF Academy is a tailored 12-month training programme facilitated at regional academies based in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, headed by industry experts as Academy Directors. Working hand-in-hand with local creative organisations, regulatory and government partners across the continent, MultiChoice uses its people, facilities and network to provide young emerging filmmakers with the skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications to help the MTF graduates launch a successful career within the creative industry. Through the MTF, MultiChoice Africa will cement its commitment to enriching lives by developing the art of inspired local storytelling and story making while simultaneously growing local content on our DStv and GOtv platforms and ultimately continue showcasing Africa’s rich cultural heritage and diversity across our local channels including SuperSport, M-Net, Africa Magic, Maisha Magic East, Maisha Magic Bongo and Zambezi Magic.
About MultiChoice Africa:
Entertainment is a powerful way to tell stories that open our minds, bring people together around shared passions, and connect us to new realities. It makes us laugh and cry. It informs, it educates and it inspires. MultiChoice Africa is a video entertainment company, and our role is to enrich lives. Our mission is to deliver value to our customers by making great entertainment more accessible. We find and develop the right mix of content and deliver it to millions of people across Africa – anytime, anywhere via our DStv (www.dstv.com) and GOtv (www.gotvafrica.com) platforms. Whether it’s local telenovelas, the excitement of world class sport or the latest global blockbusters, our investment in leading-edge content and technology systems deliver the shows that people love into their hands and their living rooms. We listen to our customers to understand their changing lives, the pressures they face and what matters most to them. We are committed to using these insights to put customers at the heart of all the decisions that each of us make every day. We’re reshaping our business to improve our customers’ experience, whenever and wherever they engage with us. Born and bred in Africa, MultiChoice is a team of more than 2750 full time and over 14 000 contractors and independent agencies and accredited installers who collectively deliver the greatest entertainment in the world to more than 49 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.We are managed and run by local people, and strive to provide all our employees with new opportunities. We’re proud of the contribution we make to our communities, and our business has grown hand-in-hand with local economies by forging long-term partnerships with governments, national broadcasters and entrepreneurs. As the continent’s leading funder of sport and local production, we’ve built skills and capacity to better offer content that matters to our customers. As Africa continues to change rapidly, the entertainment industry is ever more relevant. We want to use our influence and resources to play a positive role in Africa by supporting the growth of Africa’s creative industries into vibrant, economic centres. It’s by creating value for our customers, our employees and society that we’ll build a successful business fit for the future. Visit www.multichoiceafrica.com for more information.
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“The extensive response we have received from across the 13 participating markets in western, eastern and southern Africa, indicates that there is a tremendous need for a comprehensive educational programme of MTF’s magnitude,” says Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia’s General Manager. “It illustrates that emerging African creatives, are eager to further their post-school education, as well as advance their skills and industry experience, but are not always financially equipped to follow their passion,” he continues.
During the selection process, which is currently underway, 60 of the most noteworthy candidates will receive the opportunity to hone their television and film production skillsduring the year-long, funded programme that begins on 01 October 2018.
The comprehensive MTF curriculumwill provide participants theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing and audio production with a focus on storytelling. It will be delivered at three MTF academies that will be overseen by an experienced Academy Director, in collaboration with tertiary education institution. MTF students will learn from the best in the African film industry: Ms Njoki Muhoho, an award-winning script writer, will head up the MTF academy in eastern Africa and will be joined by colleagues, Mr Femi Odugbemi, a renowned film director and producer, who will oversee western Africa and Mr Berry Lwando, who has over 28 years of broadcasting experience, and will run the southern African academy.
“Beyond South Africa, southern Africa’s film and TV industry is developing – we’d like to contribute to change with the MultiChoice Talent Factory and give southern African youth the potential to dream big. We are exceptionally pleased with the widespread response we received” says Berry Lwando.
While MTF has already garnered overwhelming support from public and private stakeholders, such as governments and creative organisations, this initiative is open to collaborating with other players in the entertainment sector in order to ignite Africa’s creative industries into becoming vibrant, economic powerhouses.
Join the MTF social media conversation on the hashtag #multichoicetalentfactory to find out who the successful MTF applicants are, and follow:
- -Instagram: @multichoicetalentfactory;
- -Twitter: @MCTalentFactory
- -Facebook: @multichoiceafricatalentfactory
Note to Editors:
- Bios and images of the Academy Directors are available on request.
- Hi-res MultiChoice Talent Factory Logo is available on request.
About the MTF
THe African continent is steeped in a rich and diverse history of living passionately through language, art, music and colourful storytelling. As the continent continues to change rapidly, the entertainment industry has become ever more relevant. MultiChoice Africa has identified an opportunity in this fast changing environment – one that will leave a lasting impact on the creative industry as a whole.
In 2018, the company established the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a social investment initiative aimed at igniting Africa’s creative industries and growing them into vibrant, economic powerhouses. As a business born and bred in Africa, we have a long term commitment to making a socio-economic difference and creating shared value in the countries in which we operate. As such, we launched the MTF to positively impact the technical and professional value chain in the film and television industry across the continent. Established in partnership with stakeholders across the continent, MTF aims at providing the creative industries with a platform to learn and develop their talent, engage and connect with each other through their shared passions across three touchpoints which include the MTF Academy.
The MTF Academy is a tailored 12-month training programme facilitated at regional academies based in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, headed by industry experts as Academy Directors. Working hand-in-hand with local creative organisations, regulatory and government partners across the continent, MultiChoice uses its people, facilities and network to provide young emerging filmmakers with the skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications to help the MTF graduates launch a successful career within the creative industry. Through the MTF, MultiChoice Africa will cement its commitment to enriching lives by developing the art of inspired local storytelling and story making while simultaneously growing local content on our DStv and GOtv platforms and ultimately continue showcasing Africa’s rich cultural heritage and diversity across our local channels including SuperSport, M-Net, Africa Magic, Maisha Magic East, Maisha Magic Bongo and Zambezi Magic.
About MultiChoice Africa:
Entertainment is a powerful way to tell stories that open our minds, bring people together around shared passions, and connect us to new realities. It makes us laugh and cry. It informs, it educates and it inspires. MultiChoice Africa is a video entertainment company, and our role is to enrich lives. Our mission is to deliver value to our customers by making great entertainment more accessible. We find and develop the right mix of content and deliver it to millions of people across Africa – anytime, anywhere via our DStv (www.dstv.com) and GOtv (www.gotvafrica.com) platforms. Whether it’s local telenovelas, the excitement of world class sport or the latest global blockbusters, our investment in leading-edge content and technology systems deliver the shows that people love into their hands and their living rooms. We listen to our customers to understand their changing lives, the pressures they face and what matters most to them. We are committed to using these insights to put customers at the heart of all the decisions that each of us make every day. We’re reshaping our business to improve our customers’ experience, whenever and wherever they engage with us. Born and bred in Africa, MultiChoice is a team of more than 2750 full time and over 14 000 contractors and independent agencies and accredited installers who collectively deliver the greatest entertainment in the world to more than 49 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.We are managed and run by local people, and strive to provide all our employees with new opportunities. We’re proud of the contribution we make to our communities, and our business has grown hand-in-hand with local economies by forging long-term partnerships with governments, national broadcasters and entrepreneurs. As the continent’s leading funder of sport and local production, we’ve built skills and capacity to better offer content that matters to our customers. As Africa continues to change rapidly, the entertainment industry is ever more relevant. We want to use our influence and resources to play a positive role in Africa by supporting the growth of Africa’s creative industries into vibrant, economic centres. It’s by creating value for our customers, our employees and society that we’ll build a successful business fit for the future. Visit www.multichoiceafrica.com for more information.
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