Roll out the red carpet, the future of Africa’s film industry has arrived!
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) will toast to a year of exciting training for its inaugural MTF East Africa Academy Class of 2018, at a star-studded film-screening of the students’ highly-anticipated film productions titled, Ensulo and Promises!
The two films are a culmination of the MTF Academy students’ one-of-a-kind training programme from MultiChoice Africa’s inaugural corporate shared value (CSV) initiative.
As the first touchpoint of the ground-breaking CSV initiative, the MTF Academy’s 12-month training programme is distinctly designed to train the next generation of African film and TV creatives in partnership with stakeholders across the continent.
Under the guidance of regional Academy Directors within the academy’s East Africa, West Africa and Southern Africa hubs, the academy students were required to produce a 60-minute long film in groups as part of their curriculum. The MTF East Africa Academy’s Class of 2018’s efforts have now resulted in the films Ensulo and Promises.
About ‘Promises’:
Set in Nderi, Kenya, Promises follows the life of boda boda driver Mwangi, whose life unravels after the sudden death of his wife during the birth of their second child. Distraught, he has to continue raising his children without their mother. When his eldest son is involved in a car accident, Mwangi is hit with a financial crisis that forces him to reach out to his friend Sam for help, but with dire consequences.
About ‘Ensulo’:
In Ensulo, a traditional kingdom that has deliberately isolated itself from the modern world falls into crisis when its king falls gravely ill, forcing his daughter Princess Zuri to lead the kingdom until he recovers. Her ability to lead her kingdom is swiftly put to the test when the kingdom’s sacred water source comes under threat when a water bottling company from a nearby city stumbles upon it.
For East Africa hub academy director Njoki Muhoho, the films’ screening is a hallmark moment for the students and their entry into the creative industry as professionals equipped with technical know-how.
“MTF delivers a total immersion course. How best to illustrate this than the students writing and producing two feature films for screening in our regional channels? It is the culmination of all the teachings, [and] to celebrate the fruits of months of work. It has been grueling. They need to hear, see and feel how the audience receives their work. After all, our films have to be what our audience desires and more,” says Muhoho.
At the screenings, students and attendees alike can expect the full AMVCA-awards-worthy red-carpet treatment at featuring a star-studded guest list that includes various industry talent, producers and creatives, parents and relatives of students, as well as key representatives from MultiChoice Kenya and MTF East Africa academy’s partner institution Jomo Kenyatta University.
“It gives me much delight to join this great community of creative and enthusiasts of Kenyan content as we screen the very first films emanating from the great initiative by Multichoice Kenya- the Talent Factory. We are keen on making filmmaking a worthwhile venture which will ensure wealth creation and employment for the youth in the country hence becoming a significant contributor to the country’s GDP while supporting the Manufacturing pillar of the Big Four Agenda of the Kenyan government since film is an export product”, Kenya Film Commission CEO, Timothy Owase who was the Chief Guest noted.
