Marking eight years of deep commitment to empowering African storytellers, the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) has unveiled an ambitious lineup of 13 regional masterclasses designed to upskill film and television practitioners across Nigeria.
Rolled out by MultiChoice Nigeria in collaboration with key industry guilds, creative hubs, and film festival organizers, the masterclass series provides working professionals with practical tools to navigate changing audience behaviors, commercial distribution channels, and emerging content technologies.
Mastering Global Film Distribution and Cinema Business
The series kicked off on August 24, 2026, with the International Sales and Distribution Executive (ISDE) Masterclass, held in partnership with the Nigerian International Film Summit (NIFS). Centered on the theme ‘From Script to Market: The Future of Cinema in Africa,’ the session brought together veteran filmmakers, distributors, and producers to unpack the mechanics of taking African stories to global audiences.
Panelists included Kene Mkparu (President/CEO of KOMWORLD), cinema strategist Funmi Onuma, and Ijeoma Onah (Founder of NIFS). Discussions focused on bridging the gap between artistic creation and international monetization.
Akaoma Onyeonoru, Director of the MTF Academy, emphasized the urgency of mastering commercial film operations: “It is one thing to make a movie and another thing for that movie to travel for the world to see. Effective distribution is critical to ensuring African creators retain control over their narratives while building sustainable businesses.”
The Microdrama Explosion: Capturing Mobile-First Audiences Across Africa
The second session, hosted on August 26, 2026, tackled the rapid rise of short-form mobile content during the Africa Microdrama Summit. Under the theme ‘The Future of Africa Storytelling: Powering Africa’s Mobile-First Entertainment Economy,’ panelists explored how bite-sized storytelling is redefining audience engagement.
The expert panel featured Atinuke Babatunde (Executive Head of Content and Channels, West Africa at MultiChoice Nigeria), Ifeoma Oma Areh and Elija Afi (Co-Founders of Digital Creator Africa Academy), Brenda Fashugba (Co-Founder of Women in the Arts), and Samira Hamidi (Country Manager at Digital Virgo).
Babatunde highlighted how shrinking attention spans are shaping viewing preferences: “Nigerians want to be drawn into a story instantly. Fast-paced, bingeable content is thriving. The opportunity for our industry is to adapt to these mobile-first consumption habits and create stories engineered for today’s viewers.” She added that successful microdrama formats could find integration opportunities across mainstream platforms like Africa Magic.
Nationwide Reach
Beyond Lagos, the 13-part masterclass series will expand into major creative hubs across the country, including Ogun, Oyo, Imo, Abia, Delta, Rivers, Abuja, and Kano.
By partnering with grassroots institutions like 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, MultiChoice Talent Factory is ensuring high-caliber industry training reaches emerging talent across every corner of Nigeria.
