Tag Archives: Jim Miller

MultiChoice initiative partners NY academy

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MultiChoice Africa’s flagship initiative the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) has partnered with a renowned US visual and performing arts school, the New York Film Academy (NYFA).

Cheryl Uys-Allie

The aim of the collaboration is to support the development of young filmmakers who are attending MTF academies across Africa.

The MTF’s mission is to ignite Africa’s already established creative industries through training and skills development. It has already begun its masterclasses in various African cities with the aim of upskilling film and TV creatives in cinematography, audio and storytelling to improve the quality of local productions.

Cheryl Uys-Allie, MTF’s director, said: “This groundbreaking collaboration speaks to our commitment to partnering with industry experts such as the NYFA to promote and protect the growth of Africa’s creative industries,

“Our East Africa academy director, Njoki Muhoho, is an NYFA alumnus, having studied filmmaking at the Los Angeles campus, and we’re excited to be collaborating with the Academy in being able to offer incredible opportunities to our students and the sector as a whole.”

The NYFA, which has supported African content creators for more than a decade, is committed to empowering and developing filmmakers across the world and through this partnership, MultiChoice says it continues its commitment to enrich lives by igniting the creative industry on the continent.

Jim Miller, VP of the NYFA, said: “The New York Film Academy is honoured to be a part of the enrichment, development and fostering of storytellers across Africa, a continent steeped in a rich history of dynamic, creative and passionate visual and performing artists.

“Over the years, NYFA has been privileged to have hosted hundreds of students – from dozens of African nations – many who have found outstanding success in their national industries when they returned home. This MTF and NYFA collaboration is a natural extension of our commitment to help bolster the skills of talented African storytellers.”

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MTF alumni attend NYFA workshop

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Three MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) alumni have travelled to the US to attend the New York Film Academy (NYFA) workshop.

Mainala Silondwa (Zambia), Gilbert Bassey (Nigeria) and Hillary ‘Hillax’ Lanogwa (Kenya) emerged from the MTF’s three campuses in west, east and southern Africa and were selected as top of their classes for the prestigious full-tuition scholarship award.

Silondwa and Lanogwa, who are part of the inaugural MTF cohort, have been given a lifetime’s opportunity to participate in the NYFA eight-week filmmaking workshop whilst Gilbert will start the programme at a later date.

Silondwa, director and screenwriter, co-wrote the screenplay for student film The Painting, cinematographer Lanogwa was the camera operator on student films Ensulo and Promises, while Bassey, a producer, director and editor, was the assistant director on student film Dreamchaser.

Expanding on MTF’s mission to empower emerging filmmakers through training, skills and creative development, they will be trained on the craft of filmmaking in an intensive environment and also challenged to produce five films within two months.

Each student will write, direct and edit a final film, which will be showcased at a screening in New York, and a NYFA certificate and digital master copy of their projects will be given to students who complete the workshop.

Jim Miller, VP at NYFA, said: “All of us at the Academy are extremely proud to have MTF Academy’s special award alumni Mainala Silondwa, Hillary Lanogwa and Gilbert Bassey join us for their eight-week filmmaking workshops at NYFA’s New York City campus. These astonishingly talented filmmakers – who each have the passion and commitment to become creative professionals – will certainly excel in our programmes, which will immerse them in NYFA’s philosophy of hands-on intensive learning.”

Reatile Tekateka, executive head of corporate affairs at MultiChoice Africa, said: “Through strategic partnerships with widely acclaimed institutions such as the NYFA, Africa’s creative industries are enriched through skills sharing and exposure to global best practice. We’re excited for our alumni and we hope that this opportunity will empower them to tell authentic African stories to a global audience.”

Bassey said: “It’s the first time that I will travelling out of Nigeria, and it is to do something that I love. I look forward to what this will bring to my career – it’s undoubtedly a big step on the path to mastery. Being a part of MTF was a solid experience, so this, I believe, will build on that. I’m looking forward to learning more about production and the business of filmmaking, such as using the little that we have to push us forward.”

The NYFA, which currently partners with MultiChoice Africa, has supported African content creators across the continent by hosting workshops with the intention of continuing its efforts to fortify film development internationally.

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