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:
- -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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