Unilever launches Academy for African Filmmakers

The Academy will develop filmmaking expertise and give students the opportunity to work on live Unilever briefs, as well as potential further funding for their work and the possibility of seeing their finished films broadcast.

As part of the Academy for African Filmmakers, Unilever, in partnership with MOFILM will offer an intensive three-day course, created and delivered by experts from the filmmaking industry, that will run in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa in December 2014. The curriculum will cover several aspects of filmmaker theory and practice, with a focus on developing the storytelling skills of the attending students.

Marc Mathieu, SVP Global Marketing explains: "Africa is home to a huge pool of young, talented filmmakers. Through the Academy for African Filmmakers, we're seeking to enable, develop and promote African filmmaking talent within Africa and for Africa.

"Through this partnership with MOFILM, we're seeking to nurture talent and give young African creatives the opportunity and the stage to tell the authentic story which underpin Unilever's brands in Africa".

Jeffrey Merrihue, Founder and MOFILM CEO, says, "MOFILM had great success in 2013 in finding untapped African filmmaking talent. We visited countless film schools and production houses, meeting hundreds of filmmakers and those efforts resulted in two filmmakers being celebrated at the International Festival of Creativity at Cannes. Through partnering with Unilever, the AAF will build on this work and give even greater opportunity for African filmmakers to shine on a local and global stage".
The Academy for African Filmmakers is part of the Unilever Foundry, a platform which Unilever launched in May to collaborate and experiment with the digital and creative community.

Aspiring filmmakers from the age of 16 to 30 can apply, as long as they are resident in any African country, have a technical proficiency in filmmaking and can demonstrate a passion for film and storytelling. Filmmakers can find out more and register their interest at http://foundry.unilever.com/filmacademy