Earlier this month, the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy graduated its second set of 20 students via a virtual ceremony.
The students whose course work was extended from 12 months to 18 months due to the pandemic also took a 3-week intensive New York Film Academy (NYFA) course on the production of micro-documentaries, Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and music videos. They also worked with the United Nations on the global #PledgeToPause campaign which exposed them to global networks, thus walking away with two certificates – one from the prestigious Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) and an equally illustrious qualification from the New York Film Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (NYFA)
For Chioma Paul-Dike, a recipient of the CEO Award for Innovation, the tuition-free practical and theoretical program by MultiChoice is an opportunity so rare and yet so rich, and she is thankful for the experience and the opportunity to have met ambitious and passion-driven tribes and co-founders. “I’m more confident, the vison is clearer and I’ve come to better understand the industry. The academy has also given me access to industry professionals and passionate, talented colleagues.”
Eric Kafui Okyerefo, another winner of the CEO Award for innovation, also spoke about his experience in the Academy. According to him, “The experience has been wonderful; from learning in the classroom to working on real productions, it has been a pivotal experience. The opportunities to network and create are also enormous. The training has given me a platform to contribute to the industry and play my part in a way I wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere.” He expressed his gratitude to MultiChoice for their commitment to making the programme a success and the opportunities they are creating for young people across Africa.
Abisola Aboaba, winner of the New York Film Academy 8-week Scholarship Award was elated to share his experience at the academy which he described as exciting, beneficial, challenging and intensive. “I am thankful to be given opportunities I long dreamt about such as the privilege to network with industry professionals and experts whom I usually hear about via news sites, blogs and on television. Learning about the rudiments of the business from successful and thorough stakeholders with whom getting an audience can be tough and being able to obtain relevant and valuable knowledge, practical experience and exposure about the industry from a successful and dominant stakeholder in the African film industry are key things I am really grateful to MultiChoice for”
When asked how the academy has prepared him build a career in the film industry, he said “The training has helped me to further develop as a creative professional by honing my skills in the art of storytelling which is a vital part of the film production process. It also instilled in me the discipline I need to thrive and equipped me with the necessary knowledge and exposure of the craft, business, and industry needed to innovate. The constant collaborations as well at the Academy also taught me the value of teamwork in film making.”
Other recipients of prizes include Julie Ako (Nihilent Technologies eight-week scriptwriting internship on an animation series); Gbenga Gomes (Jasco Broadcast Solutions AVID media composer licence); Igho Arusi Avuirovarie (Jasco Broadcast Solution AVID Pro Tools licence); Joshua Tsotso (four-week M-Net internship in South Africa) and Avuirovarie Igho Arusi (CEO Award for innovation). Igho, Eric and Chioma teamed up to build Ekho Media, a streaming platform for short films and content creators and jointly won the CEO Award for Innovation. The award comes with $1000 cash prize for each founder and a structured mentoring programme with the CEO of MultiChoice, Mr John Ugbe.
