Femi Odugbemi, a veteran filmmaker, says the goal of the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) is to create 20 leaders in the Nigerian film industry.
The ‘Gidi Blues’ helmsman is serving as the West African director of the film academy.
“Our goal is to create 20 leaders,” he said.
“Our industry has hundreds of thousands of crew members, people who just want to make films. We need more leaders.
“We need leaders who are entrepreneurial in their thinking, leaders who bring untold stories to the table, leaders in technology.
“It is those kind of leaders who will create the platforms that hire many more people.
“So we are hoping that the people we work with leave not wanting to look for work but leave to create work. And that to me is what’s exciting about our approach.”
As the top man at the academy, Odugbemi says he will be there every day, personally tutoring the students to help their talent grow.
“I am directly involved because I would be directing the academy itself,” he said.
“I have already started work for over three months where we’ve been working on the curriculum.
“I am going to be there every single day working personally with each individual filmmaker which is why we are limiting our number to just 20 students to start with. Remember, it’s not just a classroom.
“We have a unique design to create an immersive experience for the students which means that we will have them in groups in different productions that belong to Africa Magic.
“MultiChoice is the only institution, locally, who has the opportunity to do that because it has many shows that are online, that are on TV and there is no experience like a live experience.
“I hope to be able to work with each one of them to make sure that they get the best of their own talent.”
Odugbemi says every Nigerian has a fair shot to be selected but added that the process will be rigorous and that what is most important is passion.
The filmmaker is among the four Nigerians who were recently invited to join the Academy Award’s voters.
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