At a glamorous graduation ceremony held on 5th December 2024 in Nairobi, the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Eastern Africa Academy, which nurtures emerging African filmmakers and storytellers, celebrated the achievements of its 5th cohort comprising 20 talented young filmmakers from the East African region.
The day’s festivities commenced with an inspiring opening address by MTF Academy Director East Africa, Ms Victoria Goro, setting a tone of inspiration by reflecting on impactful movies and their underlying themes of truth, goodness, and beauty. Ms Goro urged the graduates to utilise their filmmaking skills to tell stories that reflect virtues and inspire positive change in society.
At the graduation, Ms Goro shared some of the achievements of former MTF graduates and encouraged this year’s cohort to take inspiration from their successes. Recent accomplishments by MTF alumni include:
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Doreen Kilimbe’s film Midnight Bride, commissioned by M-Net, won Best East African Film at the Uganda Film Festival, the Audience Award at Zambia’s Sotambe Film Festival, Best International Award at the Kalasha Film and TV Awards, and Best Actress at the Zanzibar International Film Festival.
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Kefa Igilo’s film Love Transfusion was nominated as the Best International Film at the 10 th AMVCA’s. His film Forever Maybe was also commissioned as a Showmax reality series.
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Nduruka Njoroge’s Two Let won the Best Regional award at the 2024 Kalasha Film and TV Awards.
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Isiko Abubaker won the Best Sound Design award at this year’s Uganda Film Festival, after winning the same award in 2022 and 2023.
Other notable guests included Timothy Owase, CEO, Kenya Film Commission Board, Prof Caroline Thorua Ag Deputy VC Research, Innovation and Outreach Kenyatta University and Copyright Music Society of Kenya (MCSK) CEO Ezekiel Mutua.
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In moving speeches, they commended the graduates for their outstanding performances throughout the course. With genuine appreciation, they highlighted the collective effort and creativity displayed by the students, particularly in their documentary productions that eloquently captured the essence of their educational journey.
“MTF is a precious asset to Africa’s TV and broadcast industry,” said MultiChoice Northern Regional Director, Glauco Ferreira. “For the sector to grow, it needs a healthy pipeline of fresh, creative talent constantly entering the job market with relevant skills. The fact that MTF alumni often join established broadcast companies straight after graduation, or go on to form their own production companies, is proof that MTF is fulfilling its purpose effectively. We wish the graduates the best as they embark on their film careers.”
Each year, MTF trains budding filmmakers through a comprehensive, fully funded cinematography course, equipping them with the technical and creative skills to craft compelling stories that showcase Africa’s rich cultural heritage to global audiences. MTF’s disciplines of study include filmmaking, Producing, Screenwriting, Cinematography, Digital editing, Documentary Filmmaking, Acting for Film, 3D Animation and Visual Effects.
This year’s MTF East Africa Academy students completed a 12-month programme of workshops, lectures, practical film productions and masterclasses, where they gained skills in everything from screenwriting and editing to sound design, producing, and directing. The students, dressed in elegant black attire exuded a palpable sense of anticipation and accomplishment.
This year, MTF East Africa Academy students also produced public-service content clips encouraging climate action.
The top four performers of this year’s cohort were also celebrated for their outstanding achievements. First place went to Cyril Ondieki, who won a six-week internship at NYFA, Sihnemariam Abebe, who took second place, received a two-week internship with Zee World, while Everbright Nkya and Agola Simon in third place earned a two-week internship with MultiChoice in SA.
The MTF course is created in collaboration with international partners, the New York Film Academy and Indian satellite TV channel Zee World. Another valuable MTF partnership initiative this year was its collaboration with German development agency GIZ and the Kenya Film Commission in hosting the first ever East African and Kenyan Masterclass on Intimacy Co-ordination and Safety on Set.
In partnership with the US Embassy in Nairobi, MTF hosted the first two-level sound-design masterclass in Nairobi in November 2024, a training programme that provided key technical skills, built capacity and bolstered professional collaboration to grow sound design in East Africa.
This year, MTF East Africa Academy students also produced public-service content clips encouraging climate action, titled Uniting for A Sustainable Tomorrow, as part of the MultiChoice #TakeYourShot programme supporting the Earthshot Prize. As part of the MTF East Africa Academy Re-afforestation project, the 2024 class also planted 40 hardwood trees and 20 fruit trees at Nderi Primary School.
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