DATELINE - LUSAKA, ZAMBIA: 'Their stories had us in tears'. Academy director of the Southern Africa MultiChoice Talent Factory says tales of the film students during the selection process made people cry; that their stories will help change film making in Africa.

"Their stories had us in tears."

So said Berry Lwando, the academy director of MultiChoice Africa's new MultiChoice Talent Factory for Southern Africa, about the moving tales during the selection process from film students from right across Southern Africa, who applied recently to be part of this brand-new training initiative.

Berry Lwando spoke on Thursday night at MultiChoice Africa's glittering gala event to celebrate the official opening of its Southern Africa MultiChoice Talent Factory in Lusaka, Zambia. 

Earlier in the week MultiChoice Africa held similar launch events for its MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) in East Africa and West Africa. All three of MultiChoice's regional film academies are giving students the opportunity of a yearlong internship in film and TV production.

Sixty students have been chosen from across 13 countries in sub-Saharan Africa - excluding South Africa where M-Net is running its now 4-year old Magic in Motion Academy that the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) is based on.

Out of over 3 100 applications, 20 students were chosen for each of the three new film academies.

Students at each of the three film academies will create local content that will be broadcast on the various M-Net channels carried on MultiChoice's DStv and GOtv satellite pay-TV platforms throughout Africa, including Africa Magic, Maisha Magic East, Maisha Magic Bongo, Zambezi Magic, Pearl Magic, M-Net and SuperSport.

The Southern Africa MultiChoice Talent Factory is based at the Zambia Institute of Mass Communication (ZAMCOM) in Lusaka, an independent media training trust.

"For Southern Africa, the MultiChoice Talent Factory answers the questions of the advancement in film production we have asked for a long time and provides us the local content solution we have desired," said Berry Lwando.

"Through the MultiChoice Talent Factory, MultiChoice Africa will develop emerging TV and film talent whilst simultaneously promoting the growth of local content in key markets through this structured and impactful social investment programme."

Besides the internships, a MultiChoice Talent Factory Portal will also be created as a Pan-African networking platform for the film industry that can serve as an online destination for information about the creative industry, including contacts and thought leadership.

The portal will offer open access to film creatives across the continent to profile individuals and film companies, to showcase their work, to access opportunities and to access online master classes.

Talking about the selection process of choosing 20 students out of the thousands of entries for Southern Africa, Berry Lwando said "Their stories had us in tears".

"There were times of laughter too, but mainly tears. For none of us, not those of us from MultiChoice, nor the industry experts from the various countries, had ever encountered anything like this before".

"Who were these youngsters? Where had they come from? Where had they been hiding these stories? These young adults changed my idea of storytelling," said Berry Lwando.

"They have seen the real Africa. They have touched it, tasted it, and now they want to tell that story. I am so grateful that the MultiChoice Talent Factory is here - ready to help them do that, because these are the stories that will change film making in Africa."

"Our partners on this journey have been nothing short of incredible - from our government and regulatory visionaries, to the regional diplomatic community, from industry stalwarts and influencers and our esteemed academic partners, to the media fraternity and local businesses who helped us ready the academies and finally to our platform partners at DStv and GOtv."


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MultiChoice Africa launches a new TV and film academy, the MultiChoice Talent Factory; applications open for 60 film students from 13 African countries for a year long paid internship at one of three MTF academies across Africa.

MultiChoice Africa is launching a new initiative for the African continent, the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a year long skills and training programme for 60 students across 13 African countries to help them gain experience and knowledge in Africa's TV and film industry.

MultiChoice Africa's MultiChoice Talent Factory follows M-Net in South Africa's 4-year old Magic in Motion Academy that was established in 2014 to provide a year long intensive internship to new graduates in the film and TV sector.

Entries for MultiChoice Africa's MultiChoice Talent Factory opens today and closes on 5 July 2018.

This year-long, funded programme will be supported by three MultiChoice Talent Factory academies hosted in Nairobi, Kenya (for East Africa); Lagos, Nigeria (for West Africa) and Lusaka, Zambia (for Southern Africa), with 20 students each.

Students will create local content that will be broadcast on the various M-Net channels carried on MultiChoice's DStv and GOtv satellite pay-TV platforms throughout Africa, including Africa Magic, Maisha Magic East, Maisha Magic Bongo, Zambezi Magic, M-Net and SuperSport.

Each of the three academies will be overseen by an Academy Director who are experts in film and TV: Njoko Muhoho in Nairobi, Femi Odugbemi in Lagos and Berry Lwando in Lusaka.

Similar to M-Net's Magic in Motion Academy in South Africa, people who want to enter for this new Pan-African internship, must have a qualification from a registered or recognised post-secondary education institution in drama, film television or a related media field, must have some experience in the TV and film industry, and be older than 18.

People who want to enter must be fluent in English and must be a citizen and resident from one of these 13 African countries: Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia or Zimbabwe.

People who want to enter must register at www.multichoicetalentfactory.com and fully complete the online application form and write an online motivation letter.

The first class of the MultiChoice Talent Factory is planned to start in October 2018 and end in September 2019 with participants who will be "paid" a monthly stipend to pay for living expenses. MultiChoice Africa will also be paying for travel between cities for the interns.

"The film and TV industries have not developed at the same rate as other industries on the continent, and not for a lack of talent, passion or imagination," says Brand De Villiers, MultiChoice Africa CEO.

"We are abundantly blessed in these areas, however the space given for this expression has at best been limited and at worst, been relegated to the fringes of the mainstream economy, leaving in its wake unfulfilled dreams, unexplored talent and unwritten stories."

Brand De Villiers says the launch of the MultiChoice Talent Factory forms part of MultiChoice's new strategy of increasing its investment in creating shared value by using the satellite pay-TV operator's core business resources, people and skills to create positive change in society.

"Film making knowledge and skills that translate into enhanced livelihood is what our youth in the creative industry desire," says Njoko Muhoho, MTF Academy director for East Africa.

She says the MultiChoice Talent Factory will be a "12-month long film making boot camp" where students can get experiential and practical film making skills to create entrepreneurial filmmakers.

Berry Lwando says the MultiChoice Talent Factory will "not only tap into Africa's talent but also grow it by upskilling our youths so that they can grow our creative industries."

"This is part of a game-changing era in which creative and productive skills will be developed to enable local content be produced and compete with the best across any genre."

Femi Odugbemi says the MultiChoice Talent Factory will help "emerging filmmakers [to be] better equipped in the creative processes". "We must consciously build capacity so that our next-generation filmmakers and producers can also create wealth and create employment by being entrepreneurs as well".