MultiChoice Talent Factory celebrates next Generation Storytellers at 2024 Graduation

The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) West Africa, an initiative dedicated to nurturing emerging African filmmakers and storytellers, celebrated the achievements of its 2024 cohort at a prestigious graduation ceremony held on December 6 in Lagos.

This marked the fifth graduation ceremony for the MTF programme.

The event highlighted another successful year of empowering young filmmakers across Africa. Each year, MTF trains 60 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.

In her congratulatory message, Dr. Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of Content and Channels, West Africa, MultiChoice, emphasized that the ceremony was not just a celebration of academic success, but a recognition of the graduates’ entrance into the elite MTF Alumni Network.

She noted, “This is more than an acknowledgment of an academic journey; it is a celebration of creativity, dedication, and exceptional achievements—marking their graduation into a family whose contributions continue to shape the global narrative of African storytelling.”

Dr. Tejumola also highlighted significant achievements by the students, including the selection of Non Cras by Elma Baisie at the Life-Off Global Network, and ‘Get Out of Your Head’ by Oluwayanmife Arogundade and Winner Achimugu at Afropolis Lagos 2024.

Atinuke Babatunde, Academy Director of MTF West Africa, underscored the significance of the region to Africa’s film and television industry.

“West Africa is a cultural powerhouse and a cornerstone of the thriving film and TV industry,” Babatunde said. “Through MTF, we continue to support the development of exceptional talents capable of taking this heritage to global heights. The 2024 cohort has been outstanding, and we’re excited to celebrate their achievements today.”

The event also saw the awarding of one-year scholarships to the top three graduating students. Winner Achimugu and Anjoluwa Aluko won scholarships to the New York Film Academy and Zee World in India, respectively, while Adejo Edebo Emmanuel earned a scholarship to MNET Production in South Africa.

This year, MTF West Africa collaborated with the Earthshot Prize initiative, producing impactful projects focused on environmental sustainability.

These included ‘Revive the Ocean’, a project on ocean preservation, ‘Racing Against Time,’ a mini-documentary addressing plastic waste, and 2070, a short film envisioning future environmental challenges. The students were responsible for conceptualizing, shooting, and producing these projects, showcasing their ability to create meaningful narratives.

Additionally, ‘Rekiya’, a short film by the 2023 class, was selected for AFRIFF 2024, while ‘Poached’, directed by Adeola Andrea Peregrino, received numerous accolades, including 1st Prize in the LEAP Africa USAID Film Contest, 2nd Prize at the IOM Film Contest, and official selections at AFRIFF 2024 and the Edo State Festival. ‘Love from Bayelsa’, written by alumnus Gabrie Odigiri, won Best Short Film of the Year at the Imo International Film Festival.

The graduation of the 2024 cohort marks yet another milestone in MTF’s continued commitment to developing exceptional storytellers who are reshaping the African narrative on a global scale.