Satellite television platform, MultiChoice Africa has initiated a program to upgrade skills of filmmakers in Africa with special attention on improving professionalism to meet global standards. 

Dubbed ‘MultiChoice Talent Factory’, the Pan-African initiative for the television and film industry was launched at the Sun City Hotel in Accra on Thursday.

It was launched by former Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Arts and Culture, Dzifa Gomashie, Creative Arts Director at the National Commission of Culture, Socrates Sarfo, together with General Manager of MultiChoice Ghana, Cecil Sunkwa Mills.

MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) will consist of the MTF Academy, MTF Master Class and MTF Portal.

The MTF Academy is a 12-month educational program aimed at furnishing 60 deserving, young, talented people who want to work and innovate in film and television production.

Trainees will be provided with skillsets to develop their talent, connect with industry professionals and tell authentic African stories.

MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy will have a base in Kenya for East Africa, Nigeria for Western Africa and Zambia for Southern African countries and will be overseen by acclaimed local film and TV industry experts led by award-winning director and producer Femi Odugbemi.

Individuals who are unable to participate in the 12-month Academy training will have the opportunity of joining the MTF Master Class.

The class will bring together international experts in the field of film and television to equip participants with the needed skills and knowledge to improve their work.

MTF Master Class is scheduled to take place in various African countries on a yet to be announced dates.

In a bid to improve interactions and human resource scouting among film producers in Africa and beyond, the MTF Portal has been created and will soon be unveiled.

Producers can readily scout and employ the services of crew members from any part of the continent.

Applications for the MTF Academy can be accessed from now till July 5, 2015, on www.multichoicetalentfactory.com.