The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) West Africa held its fifth graduation ceremony in Lagos on Friday.
The MTF programme trains sixty young filmmakers across its various academies through a comprehensive, fully funded cinematography course.
The programme equips participants with the technical and creative skills necessary to craft compelling stories that highlight Africa’s cultural wealth to worldwide audiences.
This year, MTF West Africa partnered with the Earthshot Prize initiative to create projects centered on environmental sustainability.
These include ‘Revive the Ocean’, which delves into innovative approaches to ocean preservation; ‘Racing Against Time’, a mini-documentary highlighting the dangers of plastic waste; and ‘2070’, a short film envisioning future environmental challenges.
The three best graduating students are Winner Achimugu, Anjoluwa Aluko, and Adejo Edebo Emmanuel.
They were awarded one-year scholarships to international film schools.
Achimugu and Aluko won scholarships to the New York Film Academy and Zee World, India respectively while Emmanuel secured a scholarship to learn at MNET Production in South Africa.
Busola Tejumola, MultiChoice executive head of content and channels in West Africa, said the ceremony is aimed at celebrating creativity, dedication and the exceptional achievements of the students.
Tejumola highlighted the remarkable progress achieved by the students within a year.
She said these included the selection of Non Cras by Elma Baisie at the Life-Off Global Network and Get Out of Your Head by Oluwayanmife Arogundade and Achimugu at Afropolis Lagos 2024.
“This ceremony is more than just an acknowledgment of academic journey; it is a physical mark of the graduation into an elite class of the MTF Alumni Network, a family whose contributions continue to shape the narrative of African storytelling globally,” she said.
Atinuke Babatunde, academy director of MTF West Africa, said the sub-region is crucial to the continent’s film and television industry.
“West Africa is a hub of cultural richness and vibrant storytelling, which has been the foundation of its thriving film and TV industry,” she said.
“Through the MultiChoice Talent Factory, we have consistently supported the development of exceptional talents, who are capable of elevating this heritage to global standards.
“The 2024 cohort has been phenomenal, and we are excited to celebrate their achievements as they graduate.”