MultiChoice Talent Factory celebrates Africa Day, launches Colours of Africa short film series
In celebration of Africa Day, MultiChoice Group and the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) to add the pomp through the love of African cinema by launching the Colours of Africa film series.
The series, from Friday, May 21-30, will feature 16 films shot and directed by the MTF Academy’s Class of 2020, available on Showmax on Africa Day and M-Net Movies AfroCinema pop-up channel.
A statement from MultiChoice says viewers “will get to sink their teeth into a selection of films from East, West and Southern Africa, and marvel at the results of the talent honed by the MTF Academy’s distinctive curriculum”.
The MultiChoice Talent Factory is a multi-tiered training programme (Academies, Masterclasses & Portal) designed by MultiChoice Africa to focus on positively impacting the technical and professional value chain in the film and television industry across the continent.
Every year the MTF Academies select 74 talented individuals from across 14 countries to participate in a 12-month academic and practical immersion programme including both theory and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling.
“The Colours of Africa film series is one of the many ways that MultiChoice celebrates young film talent in Africa,” Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO of General Entertainment & Connected Video is quoted in the statement.
“We are proud to honour Africa Day by celebrating the work of the MTF Academies’ Class of 2020 in this way. The film series also speaks to MultiChoice’s commitment to developing and nurturing the abundance of young talent who represent the future of our industry.”
The M-Net AfroCinema pop-up will also feature films from the inaugural class of the MTF Academy, as well as public service announcements (PSAs) shot by the Class of 2020 for the United Nation’s #PledgeToPause campaign as part of their academic course.
The CoVID-19 pandemic set a precedent for the Class of 2020, but their resilience culminated in a successful second year of the MTF shared-value initiative.
While the students’ academic course was extended from 12 months to 18 months, the additional time allowed for an online accredited course through our proud partnership with the New York Film Academy.
The statements also quotes Cheryl Uys-Allie, Director of the MTF initiative as saying: “The theme of the collections of films is ‘Connecting generations through storytelling’ and what is particularly beautiful about the series is that the MTF students produced the short films in their home countries adding local context, voice and visuals to their cinematic expression in the Colours of Africa series.
“The series also speaks to the purpose of MTF to ensure that we invest in the next generation of storytellers with knowledge shared by skilled professionals in the industry.”
This one-of-a-kind film series is also specially curated for those with a love for African film, and is in line with the MultiChoice Group’s support for the preservation and celebration of African history, culture, and traditions through film and TV.
Alongside igniting Africa’s creative industries, the MultiChoice Group is equally driven to celebrate the world-class stories created by Africans for Africans and the world.
Viewers will be able to watch all films on the M-Net Movies AfroCinema Film Festival pop-up, DStv Channel 198 from May 21-30 May and on Showmax on Africa Day and beyond.
Existing GOtv Max, GOtv Plus & GOtv Jolli customers will also be able to watch the Colours of Africa series on channel 29 for all markets and channel 129 for Uganda and 329 in Ghana as part of the M-Net AfroCinema pop-up.
On MTF, the statement adds that the African continent is steeped in a rich and diverse history of living passionately through language, art, music, and colourful storytelling.
“As the continent continues to change rapidly, the entertainment industry has become ever more relevant. MultiChoice Africa has identified an opportunity in this fast-changing environment — one that will have a lasting impact on the industry as a whole.
“As a business born and bred in Africa, we have a long-term commitment to making a socioeconomic difference in the countries in which we operate. As such, this initiative helps to play a positive role in growing Africa’s creative industries.”
Young Malawian artists have also gone through the MTF academy, which is a shared-value initiative that provides a platform for the creative industries to develop their talent and engage with one another through their shared passions.
“We are building a pipeline of good local content for our channels whilst the Masterclasses focus on developing technical skills of established creatives in cinematography, audio and storytelling to improve the quality of local productions and are conducted by leading African and international industry experts.
“The MTF Portal is the golden thread that brings talent and opportunities together on one platform. It is a Pan-African, film and television digital marketplace that offers open, cost-free access to film creatives across the continent to showcase their talent, access opportunities, stay up to date with industry news and expand their industry network.
“Through this initiative, MultiChoice Africa’s demonstrates its commitment to enriching lives by developing the art of inspired local storytelling and story making, while simultaneously growing a legacy of local content on our DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms and ultimately continue showcasing Africa’s rich cultural heritage and diversity.”
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