Are you made for film? Multichoice academy wants to turn you into a gem

June 21, 2021 Newsroom

A significant number of budding actors in Kenya could lose once in a lifetime chance to hone their skills as the applications to the Multichoice Talent Factory draw to a close.

The continent wide initiative is searching for 60 aspiring film and TV creatives from Southern Africa, West Africa and East Africa to be part of the class of 2022.

With applications set to close in a week’s time, latest data shows that those seeking admission from Kenya are less than half of those from Nigeria, a scenario that could potentially see artists from the western Africa country beat Kenyans to the race on the number of actors admitted to the prestigious Multichoice Talent Factory (MTF).

With 350 applications, the requests for admission from Nigeria are nearly double of the 216 film talents who have made applications from across East Africa.

A total of 120 applications have been submitted from Kenya, 67 from Tanzania while Uganda trails in the region with just 30 applications.

With 350 applications submitted, Nigeria leads across the continent. Only 10 have expressed interest in the MTF training from Ghana.

In the Southern Africa region, Zambia leads at 98 applications submitted, Zimbabwe 21, Botswana 25 and Angola nine.

To apply, go to the portal cte.multichoicetalentfactory.com/Home/MTFHome and register your details using an active email account. The system will revert with a verification email that takes you to the MTF website where you will then ‘Login’ and start the application.

If you tried your luck in 2019, just ‘login’ and fill in all the required information, including the necessary documentation to complete the process.

Currently, there are 770 applications already submitted for consideration into the MTF class of 2022.

MTF is an initiative of entertainment giant Multichoice where artists learn the craft of film making hands-on.

The opportunity is up for grabs to all emerging filmmakers with either some industry experience to show or some relevant skills in film but are keen on shoring up their television and film production skills.

At the factory, the learners are hard boiled, bringing out the best in skills that apply to all their career aspirations in modern practices in the dynamic film industry.

At MTF, the successful applicants learn through a curriculum comprising theoretical industry aspects as well as expert-led hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling using films.

The school, which is overseen by local film and television industry experts, is instrumental in tapping and sharpening the raw talent drawn from East Africa, which is later absorbed into the local entertainment industry.

The opportunities for growth in the film industry in Kenya are rising exponentially as the sector transitions into one of the main arteries of the country’s economic growth, provision of job opportunities as well as attracting million-dollar investments.

A June 2020 study by the Kenya Film Commission shows that the country’s entertainment sector generates about Kes 12 billion in revenue per year but it has the potential to hit Kes 40 billion once harnessed optimally.

At the MTF academy successful artists get the chance to establish connections with the industry global experts and learn how to tell impactful African stories.

Launched in May 2018, the MTF Academy has so far given 120 students the chance to make use of their expertise in film and TV, turning them into skilled industry professionals.

Across Africa, the training takes place at three regional MTF Academies based in Kenya, Zambia and Nigeria.

The initiative works in collaboration with the New York Film Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (NYFA), offering MTF Masterclasses while also advancing annual eight-week NYFA scholarship at the academy in New York, US, to the best students from each region in Africa.

If you have an interest in film making, what are you waiting for?

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