“It is one thing to make a movie and another thing for that movie to travel for the world to see.” Akaoma Onyeonoru, Academy Director of MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), said that at the first of 13 regional masterclasses for Nigerian film and television practitioners, a series MTF launched as it marks eight years of investing in the country’s creative industry.
The classes are run with film festivals, guilds and other industry bodies in different regions. The organisers say the aim is practical knowledge about where the industry stands now and where the openings are, for people who often learn these things the hard way.
Script to market
The first session, the International Sales and Distribution Executive Masterclass, took place on August 24 with the Nigerian International Film Summit. Its theme was ‘From Script to Market: The Future of Cinema in Africa.’ Filmmakers and producers heard how a film gets from production to audiences and buyers.
On the panel were Kene Mkparu, President and CEO of KOMWORLD Cinemas and Studio KOM Film Production and Distribution; cinema expert Funmi Onuma; and Ijeoma Onah, founder of the summit. They covered international sales, distribution and the commercial side of taking African films to wider markets.
Onyeonoru said the business side matters as much as the creative process. She added that whether African stories can travel will decide how the continent tells and controls its own narratives.
Short stories for short attention
The second masterclass, the Africa Microdrama Summit, was held on Wednesday, August 26. Its theme was ‘The Future of Africa Storytelling: Powering Africa’s Mobile-First Entertainment Economy,’ and it looked at the growth of short-form scripted content and how viewing habits are changing.
Speakers included Atinuke Babatunde, Executive Head, Content and Channels, West Africa, at MultiChoice Nigeria; Ifeoma Areh and Elija Afi of the Digital Creator Africa Academy; Brenda Fashugba, co-founder of Women in the Arts; and Samira Hamidi, Country Manager of Digital Virgo.
Babatunde said shorter attention spans are shaping how people watch. “People are becoming increasingly impatient, and their attention spans are shorter, so content that is bingeable tends to do well. Nigerians want to know what is happening from the moment they start watching, so the story has to pull you in quickly and keep you engaged,” she said. She added that microdrama could find a place on established platforms such as Africa Magic, and viable productions could open further programming opportunities.
The series moves next through Ogun, Oyo, Imo, Abia, Delta, Rivers, Abuja and Kano. Partners include the Wole Soyinka Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, the Ibadan International Film Festival, the Pan-Atlantic University International Students’ Film Festival, the Twin City International Film Festival, the Rivers International Film Festival and the Kano Indigenous Languages Film Festival.
