MTF West Africa: Boosting Talent, Empowering Young Creatives

Chigoziem Dike

Over the last decade, there has been a significant shift in the movie and television industry across the world. Thanks to globalisation and technology, there is a more methodological way of planning a movie: a more professional production team, and the use of modern production elements/equipment, amongst others.

Although there has been a considerable effort to improve the quality of films and TV shows in Nigeria, there is a dearth of professional training institutes for aspiring filmmakers to hone their craft. Few places exist where people are imparted with the needed skillsets to develop their talent. It is this gap that MultiChoice, Africa’s leading video entertainment company, decided to fill with the establishment of the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF).

Established in 2018 as part of MultiChoice’s Corporate Shared Value (CSV) initiative, MTF equips the next generation of creative persons across Africa with the ability to produce high-quality African movies, as well as enhances the knowledge of current professionals -in storytelling.

MTF is a programme, stretching across three sub-regions and 13 countries in Africa. It is grouped into three components namely: MTF Academy, MTF Masterclasses and the MTF Portal. The regional MTF Academies are based in Nigeria, representing West Africa; Kenya, representing East Africa; and Zambia, representing Southern Africa. The academies are headed by local industry experts and provide a fully-funded year-long training programme for aspiring filmmakers.

For the MTF West Africa Academy, the aspiring filmmakers admitted into the year-long programme are from Nigeria and Ghana. A group of 20 students are selected annually after being chosen from an entry pool of thousands of applicants who undergo a rigorous interview process by the judging panel of film and television experts.

The impact of the MTF on the film and television industry in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised, especially in the areas of talent development and empowerment of young filmmakers and other professionals in the industry. Since its inception in 2018, two sets students have graduated from the Academy. Following their graduation, these filmmakers have gone on to achieve significant strides in the continent’s creative industry.

A survey conducted by MultiChoice to ascertain how the 2019 and 2020 MTF graduates are faring in the industry revealed that about 68 per cent of its alumni are economically active in the industry. The survey further revealed that some of the graduates were opportune to work on live sets of local TV productions and create original content aired on local M-Net channels across the MultiChoice platforms, as well as on other platforms.

Most the graduates are still economically active in the industry because the 12-month training incorporates both industry and business education for all students. The academies collaborate with recognised local institutions like the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, and international institutes such as the New York Film Academy College of Visual & Performing Arts (NYFA) and the Henley Business School. These collaborations enable the MTF beneficiaries to gain knowledge in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling, as well as in business and entrepreneurial management.

In addition, the best students from each graduating class are empowered to acquire more knowledge. Gilbert Bassey, a 26-year-old Nigerian, who finished as the best graduating student of the inaugural set, won a scholarship to the renowned NYFA. Metong Minwon was awarded the “Avid ProTools Lifetime Award” for emerging as the Best Sound Engineer.

For the class of 2022, the best graduating student at the MTF West Africa Academy, Adedamola Akapo from Nigeria, got an eight-week scholarship to the NYFA. In addition, other top graduates: Emmanuel Horla Nuvor (Ghana) and Oluwatoyosi Fowode (Nigeria), were given internships with Zee World anda local film and TV production in South Africa, respectively. Also, the MultiChoice CEO prize of N2 million was presented to Divergence, a production start-up company created by members of the graduating cohort: Fowode, Samuel Ishola and Ibrahim Mamman.

The second component of the MTF is the Masterclass. The Masterclass offers current practitioners in the industry the opportunity to gain the right skills and practical experience to increase their employability status. Over 1,000 professionals have gotten exclusive access to practical, expert-led industry workshops across the continent since 2019.

The MTF Portal, the third component of the programme, allows individuals and companies to create corporate profiles. Users of the portal get a lifetime opportunity to have their works showcased to the larger world and also get notifications about several opportunities available in the industry. Over 40,000 creatives have been registered since it was launched.

MTF, now, more than ever, presents Nigerian filmmakers with a great opportunity to appropriately depict stories that reflect the continent’s people and their progress. With the skills and understanding of the entrepreneurial side of filmmaking, MTF is creating the next generation of storytellers and ensuring the future of the Nigerian creative industry.

Dike writes from Lagos