INAUGURAL GRADUATION FOR THE MULTICHOICE TALENT FACTORY SOUTHERN AFRICA ACADEMY!

Along with Certificates of Completion, various students were rewarded with exciting opportunities including placements & internships with the New York Film Academy College of Visual & Performing Arts (NYFA) in New York; an Indian Film Industry ‘Bollywood’ production internship with Nihilent Limited in India, a ‘Nollywood’ production internship on an Africa Magic Series in Lagos, placement on SuperSport productions, an infinite AVID media composer license and AVID Pro Tools license by Jasco Broadcast Solutions!

31 August 2019: MultiChoice Africa is delighted to announce the graduation of the first students of the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) Southern African Academy! The graduating students have gone through a rigorous 12-month film training programme, honing and sharpening their various skills within the film and TV industry. The graduation ceremony was held at the Zambia Institute of Mass Communication (ZAMCOM) where students received their certificates from the Zambia University accredited training programme.

Nyiko Shiburi, Director MultiChoice Southern Africa Holdings said the 20 students will be the first ever graduates of the MultiChoice Talent Factory which is aimed at supporting and encouraging excellence in filmmaking at the post school education level. Congratulations to Clarence Nyoni, Muchemwa Sinkala, Emmanuel Mwape, Jones Mvula, Mainala Silondwa, Racheal Mbewe and Joshua Kafumukache from Zambia, Sally Jason, Esther Beukes, Toivo Ashivudhi from Namibia, Chimwemwe Mkwezalamba, Jonathan Kapumba from Malawi, Serena Serene Mmifinyana, Nikita Mokgware from Botswana, Nobert Mapfoche, Rutendo Mahofa from Zimbabwe, Emanuel Gonçalves, Leandro Lima from Angola, Gerson Amaral and Ludmila Mero from Mozambique. MultiChoice Africa has fully sponsored the students’ tuition, accommodation and stipend for the duration of 12 months.

“The MTF Academy students have been provided with skillsets to develop their talent, connect with industry professionals and tell authentic African stories through a comprehensive curriculum comprising theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling,” Shiburi added.

During the programme, MTF Academy students have produced television and film content that were premiered on the eve of their graduation at Ster-Kinekor, Manda Hill to 200 invited guests. The films will also be aired on our local M-Net channels across the continent including Africa Magic, Maisha Magic East, Maisha Magic Bongo, Pearl Magic, Zambezi Magic, M-Net and SuperSport to reach African audiences on the DStv and GOtv platforms. The films will also be available on the DStv Now app and on Showmax. The MTF students will leave the Southern Africa MultiChoice Talent Factory with the knowledge and skills to contribute professionally to Africa’s film and television industry.

The keynote address was given by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Mr. Mabvuto Sakala who said; “From its inception, the MultiChoice Talent Factory has been a place of inspiration not only to the learners graduating today, but to many that have walked into its doors and from different walks of life. This is the place where over 100 other film makers have gone through high level Master Classes in cinematography, sound engineering, lighting and design and storytelling to enhance their skills. The local film industry has also been empowered to network with colleagues of like mind from across the continent through the MTF portal that is allowing real-time sharing of ideas for the creatives.”

In addition to the certificate of completion, 7 awards were presented to deserving students who have excelled during the programme, the awards included the following; 1. Mainala Silondwa from Zambia was awarded with an 8 weeks internship at the New York Film Academy in New York. 2. Jonathan Kapumba from Malawi was awarded with a 3 weeks internship in Bollywood India sponsored by our partner, Nihilent Limited. 3. Nikita Mokgware from Botswana was awarded with a 3-4 weeks internship on an Africa Magic Series in Nigeria sponsored by MultiChoice Africa. 4. Emanuel Goncalves from Angola was awarded an infinite AVID Media Composer License (in perpetuity) the for the Most Promising Video Editor sponsored by our partner, Jasco Broadcast Solutions. 5. Joshua Kafumukache from Zambia was awarded an Avid Pro Tools Licence (in perpetuity) for the Most Promising Sound Editor sponsored by our partner, Jasco Broadcast Solutions. 6. Two students received placements on SuperSport productions, Nobert Mapfoche from Zimbabwe will be taken up as Director and Emmanuel Mwape from Zambia as Producer. Both students will join the SuperSport crew in Zambia immediately after graduation.

Shiburi further said “as a company that is deeply rooted in Africa, we understand that many young, aspiring filmmakers have the capacity to learn and strengthen their skillset to give back to their communities but may not be financially equipped to do so. The MultiChoice Talent Factory focuses on making sure that those gems are nurtured, and their talent developed to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s creative industry.”

Over the past 12 months, MultiChoice has partnered with the governments, local film industry associations and academics and have exposed the students and hundreds of already established film professionals to well-respected subject matter experts including South African director and producer Bobby Heaney, reputable sound consultant from Dolby India, Vikram Joglekar, pan-African storytelling and creative consultant Allison Triegaardt, award-winning Kenyan film producer Appie Matere, cinematographer Jonathan Kovel and cinematic lighting technician Christian Lee Epps.

Congratulations to the MTF Southern Africa Academy graduating Class of 2018!

Join the MTF social media conversation on the hashtag #MultiChoiceTalentFactory and follow/join: • Instagram: @multichoicetalentfactory • Twitter: @MCTalentFactory • Facebook: @multichoiceafricatalentfactory

ENDS…/

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Notes to the Editor:

About the MTF: The African continent is steeped in a rich and diverse history of living passionately through language, art, music and colourful storytelling. As the continent continues to change rapidly, the entertainment industry has become ever more relevant. MultiChoice Africa has identified an opportunity in this fast-changing environment – one that will have a lasting impact on the industry. The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) is multi-tiered training programme designed by MultiChoice Africa to focus on positively impacting the technical and professional value chain in the film and television industry across the continent. As a business born and bred in Africa, we have a long-term commitment to making a socio-economic difference in the countries in which we operate. As such, this initiative, will help to play a positive role in growing Africa’s creative industries into vibrant, economic powerhouses. This training programme which will be rolled out in partnership with stakeholders across the continent, will provide the creative industries a platform to learn and develop their talent, engage and connect with each other through their shared passions. Working hand-in-hand with local creative organisations, regulatory and government partners across the continent, we use our people, facilities and network to provide young emerging filmmakers with a tailored 12-month apprenticeship, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications to help launch a successful career within the creative industry. Through the MTF, MultiChoice Africa’s legacy will emphasise our commitment to enriching lives by developing the art of inspired local storytelling and story making, while simultaneously growing local content on our DStv and GOtv platforms and ultimately continue showcasing Africa’s rich cultural heritage and diversity. More information available on www.multichoiceafrica.com

Special thanks to all our MTF Partners who include:

ABOUT DOLBY INSTITUTE:

Launched at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the Dolby Institute has the mission to educate and inspire emerging filmmakers and content creators to think creatively about sound and image to enhance their stories. Since its inception, the Institute has brought together emerging artists and award-winning veterans and masters of the craft to offer concrete tools and advice on ways to make stories more vibrant with sound and images. Dolby Institute Director Glenn Kiser, the former head of Skywalker Sound, has been working at film festivals, universities, and film schools – wherever filmmakers gather. For more information visit www.dolby.com ABOUT NYFA

The New York Film Academy College of Visual & Performing (NYFA) teaches students the art of filmmaking and related visual and performing arts through blending traditional school instruction with practical, hands-on experience. NYFA is the largest independent international film and acting school in the world. Since 1992, NYFA has been offering innovative curricula, award-winning instructors, and the highest quality professional equipment, classrooms, and studios. NYFA works to further a global understanding of—and appreciation for—the art and craft of visual storytelling through the education and training of interested and qualified individuals, and to hone the skills of future professionals so that they may one day serve the visual storytelling arts as industry leaders. NYFA has campuses and permanent education sites in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami (South Beach), Gold Coast (Australia), Paris, and Florence. NYFA has established educational partnerships with colleges and universities around the world and have run workshops in more than 40 countries including Brazil, China, England, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, and Spain.

For more information visit www.nyfa.edu

ABOUT JASCO BROADCAST SOLUTIONS:

Jasco Broadcast Solutions designs, builds, installs, integrates and maintains end-to-end video and audio solutions for broadcasters as well as production and post-production houses. We offer technology and services to take you from image capture through to transmission and beyond. Our full-service offering utilises leading brands to deliver bespoke solutions that rival those of the best broadcasters, production and post-production houses across the world. Our decades of experience and longstanding strategic alliances with the best global brands have enabled us to gain unrivalled depth of technical knowledge and experience in the industry.

For more information visit www.jasco.co.za

ABOUT NIHILENT LIMITED:

Nihilent is a global consulting and services company using design thinking approach to problem-solving and integrated change management. Our comprehensive range of expertise in process and technology enables customers to achieve new heights of business performance. Nihilent has a significant presence in India, USA, UK, Australia, and South Africa. We are a CMMI® Level 5 appraised and ISO 9001: 2015 certified company. Nihilent provides a comprehensive range of process and technology-led transformation services to Media and Entertainment, Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, Retail, Supply Chain & Manufacturing, and Healthcare organizations. Customer centricity is a mission at Nihilent, pursuing we have developed and been awarded a patent for Change Management based on our MC3® framework for Performance Management and Strategy Execution. We also have a patent for our predictive ‘Customer Loyalty Evaluation’ (CLE) model – 14 Signals® – which enables businesses to identify the loyalty drivers and build enduring customer loyalty successfully.

For more information, contact globalbizdev@nihilent.com or visit www.nihilent.com

ABOUT HENLEY BUSINESS SCHOOL:

Henley Business School is a triple-accredited business school and part of the University of Reading. With campuses, offices and partnerships around the world, over 7,000 students from more than 100 countries and over 80,000 alumni from 150 countries, we are a truly international institution. Our courses are enriched by up to date knowledge, research and commercial experience, and aimed at students and professionals at every stage of their career – from undergraduate through to postgraduate, PhD, MBA, DBA and executive education. Henley Business School was ranked the number 1 business school in the world with the potential to network (The Economist 2017); and, the number 1 business school in Africa for executive education (FT 2018), as well as the number 1 MBA business school in South Africa as rated by corporate SA (PMR 2018, 2019). Henley Africa accounts for 60% on Henley's global MBA intake, including the UK and Europe. Our mission is "We build the people who build the businesses that build Africa". We are driven by this mission, not financial targets, although of course we teach and practice commercial acumen to a high level. For more information visit www.henleysa.ac.za