Akuna Learning, part of The Akuna Group chaired by Sir Idris Elba, announced that applications are now open for From Script to Screen with AI, a free artificial intelligence filmmaking programme for creators in Kenya and four other African countries.
The programme is delivered in collaboration with Google and is supported by US$1 million funding from Google.org, with the curriculum created by Curious Refuge.
Applications opened on October 26 and close on November 15, 2026; eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, reside in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone or South Africa, and have access to a laptop, reliable internet and consistent electricity.
Selected participants will attend a twelve-week online academy from February to April 2027, followed by mentoring, pitching and production phases that run until October 2027, making the total programme duration over fifty weeks.
After completing a foundational AI filmmaking course, participants can specialise in fiction, documentary, animation, advertising or screenwriting, and the programme welcomes filmmakers, screenwriters, animators, advertisers, digital content creators, photographers, designers, editors and visual artists.
Creators will retain full ownership of their work, with the programme and its partners making no claim to any rights.
Sir Idris Elba said the initiative is about learning and giving African creators access to courses that enable them to tell their own stories, while Khaled Gad, CEO of The Akuna Group, said training alone does not build an industry and the programme provides a route from classroom to screen.
Applications are submitted online at akunalearning.com, and women are strongly encouraged to apply.
