The MultiChoice Group and the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) will be celebrating the love of African cinema with the Colours of Africa film series.
The series will feature 16 films shot and directed by the MTF Academy’s Class of
2020, available on Showmax on Africa Day and M-Net Movies AfroCinema pop-up
channel from 21 – 30 May 2021, including the Namibian short film Kegumbo
Okegumbo which premieres on 25 May. Viewers will get to sink their teeth into a
selection of films from East, West and Southern Africa, and marvel at the results of
the talent honed by the MTF Academy’s distinctive curriculum. The films The
Painting and Savannah Skies, which involved Namibia’s 2020 MTF alumni, are also
included in the collection.
“The Colours of Africa film series is one of the many ways that MultiChoice
celebrates young film talent in Africa. We are proud to honour Africa Day by
celebrating the work of the MTF Academies’ Class of 2020 in this way. The film
series also speaks to MultiChoice’s commitment to developing and nurturing the
abundance of young talent who represent the future of our industry,” says Yolisa
Phahle, MultiChoice Group CEO of General Entertainment & Connected Video.
The M-Net AfroCinema pop-up will also feature films from the inaugural class of the
MTF Academy, as well as public service announcements (PSAs) shot by the Class
of 2020 for the United Nation’s #PledgeToPause campaign as part of their academic
course. The COVID-19 pandemic set a precedent for the Class of 2020, but their
resilience culminated in a successful second year of the MTF shared-value initiative.
While the students’ academic course was extended from 12 months to 18 months,
the additional time allowed for an online accredited course through our proud
partnership with the New York Film Academy.
“The theme of the collections of films is ‘Connecting generations through storytelling’
and what is particularly beautiful about the series is that the MTF students produced
the short films in their home countries adding local context, voice and visuals to their
cinematic expression in the Colours of Africa series. The series also speaks to the
purpose of MTF to ensure that we invest in the next generation of storytellers with
knowledge shared by skilled professionals in the industry,” says Cheryl Uys-Allie,
Director of the MultiChoice Talent Factory initiative.
This one-of-a-kind film series is also specially curated for those with a love for
African film, and is in line with the MultiChoice Group’s support for the preservation
and celebration of African history, culture, and traditions through film and TV.
Alongside igniting Africa’s creative industries, the MultiChoice Group is equally
driven to celebrate the world-class stories created by Africans for Africans and the
world.
Viewers will be able to watch all films on the M-Net Movies AfroCinema Film
Festival pop-up, DStv Channel 198 from 21 – 30 May and on Showmax on Africa
Day and beyond. Existing GOtv Max & GOtv Plus customers will also be able to
watch the Colours of Africa series on channel 29 as part of the M-Net AfroCinema
pop-up.
