Young African filmmakers back UN Anti-Misinformation initiative
Seven short films aimed at combating COVID-19 misinformation have been produced by young African filmmakers across the continent.
The short films were put together by the 2020 cohort of the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy.
The films are part of the United Nations’ Pause campaign, a wider behavior change campaign that aims to create a new social media norm to help combat the rising impact of viral misinformation. The short films will air on MultiChoice channels between 9 and 31 December 2020. The MultiChoice Group is providing the airtime as part of its ongoing support of the campaign.
The filmmakers, who are from Nigeria, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, tackled the subject through a variety of approaches, often using humor and slang to deliver vital and punchy lifesaving messages that appeal to local viewers.
“We recognize the transformative power of media and the critical role we play to educate audiences about the dangers of misinformation through these short films, which have enabled us to share hyperlocal information with our audiences,” says Caroline Oghuma, Executive Head: Corporate Affairs, MultiChoice Nigeria.
The MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) is MultiChoice’s flagship shared-value initiative launched in 2018 to ignite Africa’s creative film and TV industries through training and skills development. The MTF Academy is a 12-month fully funded training programme aimed at upskilling the next generation of passionate young film creatives.
As the first touchpoint of the shared-value initiative, the MTF Academy’s one-of-a-kind curriculum is expertly executed under the guidance of regional Academy Directors Njoki Muhoho (East Africa hub), Berry Lwando (Southern Africa hub), Femi Odugbemi (West Africa hub), and Bobby Heaney (South Africa hub).
