The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) has opened its doors to another group of aspiring filmmakers in East Africa.
Twenty students have joined the Nairobi-based academy, one of three across the continent — the others are in Lagos and Lusaka — to begin a nine-month training program aimed at preparing them for careers in film and television.
The program, which has been running since 2018, is known for producing graduates who go on to work at MultiChoice or launch their own ventures across Africa’s film industry.
This year, the curriculum has been adjusted. Students will spend six months learning online and three months in person. The academy remains accredited with Kenyatta University.
“We welcome this year’s MTF students,” said Victoria Goro, Director of the East Africa academy. “They join the family of alumni who have come through the MTF ranks and become highly respected professionals in East African film and TV. While we’ve made a few adjustments to our programme, these changes have enabled us to operate more efficiently ensuring we continue to deliver the industry’s leading training platform.”
Goro said the academy’s goal remains to empower creators to tell local stories for African audiences.
“The primary goal of MTF is to grow the African film and television industry,” she said. “In the years since our establishment in 2018, we have produced hundreds of qualified filmmakers, with many alumni going on to careers at MultiChoice, or as successful entrepreneurs in various parts of our industry.”
Students are selected through a competitive application process and will receive hands-on instruction from industry professionals. The program ends with a collaborative student film, which will be broadcast on MultiChoice channels including Maisha Magic Bongo, Maisha Magic East, Pearl Magic and Pearl Magic Prime.
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“MTF students can look forward to an exciting learning experience that will equip them to meet the needs of the industry, and to create work that will inspire African audiences for decades to come,” Goro said. “Having witnessed the talent and potential of this year’s cohort, we’re assured that the future of our industry is bright and will continue to thrive.”
Four of this year’s students are from Uganda. Rinaldi Jamugisa, PR and Communications Manager at MultiChoice Uganda, said their participation would help grow the country’s creative sector.
“For 8 years MTF has been a gift that has continued to give the Ugandan film industry, with many of the graduates from the different cohorts currently contributing to the revival of local content as a staple of Uganda’s television consumption pallets,” Jamugisa said. “We are excited to welcome the 2025 cohort, and look forward to seeing the talented individuals who will emerge from this program to continue to shape the future of our film industry.”
This is the eighth group to take part in the MTF Africa program, which has become one of the continent’s most consistent pipelines for new filmmaking talent.
