Chelva Wells
Twenty young filmmakers have begun a year of film and television training at the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Southern Africa Academy in Lusaka, Zambia, including Namibia’s Sandra Muramba and Elisabeth Hamukwaya.
The MTF Southern Africa Academy is one of three on the continent, where students spend 12 months gaining skills in screenwriting, editing, producing and directing through study, and practical experience in TV and film productions.
MultiChoice Namibia managing director Roger Gertze told Nampa on Wednesday that the fully-funded curriculum includes workshops, lectures, masterclasses and assignments.
MTF students learn alongside industry greats and seasoned professionals from across the globe, and the final stage of the course will see students developing feature films for broadcast on MultiChoice local channels and Showmax.
“As Africa’s most-loved storyteller, the MTF is a multi-faceted project. Our goal is to develop the film industry so that it plays a meaningful role on the continent. After a rigorous selection process, we are delighted to welcome our new students who, through their film knowledge and experience, will take Namibia to the world,” Gertze noted.
Hamukwaya, an aspiring director, said she’s looking forward to the opportunity, and will not take it for granted.
“I want to represent Namibia well,” she added.
Muramba, meanwhile, shared her desire to expand the Namibian film industry, saying, “I cannot wait to learn more, and I’m very open to learning.”
At the MTF Southern Africa Academy, 55% of students in this year’s intake are male and 45% are female, with the cohort coming from Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Malawi, Botswana, Angola and Zimbabwe.
Since its establishment in 2018, the Africa-wide MTF Academy programme has produced more than 300 graduates, qualifying young filmmakers who are now taking African stories to the world.
The training provided by the MTF Academy is geared to broaden the skillsets of aspirant filmmakers, and to empowering them to work in various creative disciplines – not only the film industry. An MTF survey has found that around 92% of MTF Academy graduates go on to work in the creative sector.
- Nampa