IT’S A WRAP! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MTF ACADEMY CLASS OF 2020

Despite the challenging year that was 2020, MultiChoice Talent Factory MTF Academy Class of 2020 have graduated! 60 students from the Lusaka, Nairobi and Lagos academy hubs quickly adapted and transitioned from physical to virtual learning.

The students’ academic course was extended from 12 month to 18 months due to the pandemic. This additional time translated to the students today walking away with not one but two qualifications, making them even more sought-after as they re-enter their respective local film and TV sectors as highly qualified industry professionals. Alongside their MTF qualification, the students also walk away with an equally illustrious qualification from the prestigious New York Film Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (NYFA).

“The MultiChoice Talent Factory is very close to my heart. It speaks to who we are as Africans, natural-born storytellers. Today we are here to celebrate the second cohort who were dealt a heavy blow by the COVID-19 pandemic but the challenge seems to have brought on even greater opportunities,” says Yolisa Phahle, CEO of General Entertainment and Connected Services, MultiChoice Group.

The awards and lucky recipients are: The NYFA 8-week scholarship, which goes to the top performing graduate per region. This year’s recipients are; Abisola Aboaba (Nigeria), Daisy Masembe (Uganda) and Maira Tauacale (Mozambique). An 8-week scriptwriting internship on an animation series from global consulting and solutions integration company Nihilent Technologies. The winners are; Julie Ako (Nigeria), Kefa Igilo (Tanzania) and Hilma Sheehama (Namibia). 

Jasco Broadcast Solutions will provide one AVID media composer licence to the most-promising film video editor per region. The recipients are Gbenga Gomes (Nigeria), Isiko Abubaker (Uganda) and Abel Ngoma (Zambia). The AVID Pro Tools license for the most-promising sound engineer per region was awarded to Igho Arusi Avuirovarie (Nigeria), Maurice Muendo (Kenya) and Reijhaart Wolhuter (Namibia). 

MultiChoice’s platforms will be giving students an amazing opportunity to work at M-Net local productions. Each winner will take part in a 4-week internship on M-Net productions equipping them with the skills they need to tell authentic and original African stories. Well done to Joshua Tsotso (Nigeria), Hanigun Kwenya (Kenya) and Masuzyo Mwale (Zambia).