The Sèmè City Film Lab has been established in partnership with the EbonyLife Creative Academy. Sèmè City is the premier human capital development program of the Benin Republic. EbonyLife Media is the continent’s largest media conglomerate with a global reach.
With financing from the World Bank, this creative film incubation initiative strives to provide young people in the Benin Republic the tools they need to succeed in the film industry. It also offers a special chance for chosen projects, such as TV pilots and short films, to be funded and produced.
The Sèmè City Film Lab is a creative solution to the demands of budding filmmakers and television and film content creators. This program provides access to a vibrant creative community in Nigeria and abroad, a thorough educational curriculum, and mentoring possibilities. Regardless of their prior experience in cinema or television, thirty young stars have been chosen for the first cohort based solely on their potential and passion. The program prioritizes the involvement of youthful female talent, guaranteeing a rise in diversity and representation.
The curriculum, which lasts 14 months in total, is divided into two sections: a rigorous 7-month production period comes after a 6.5-month learning phase. All facets of screenwriting and film production will be covered in the academic and practical instruction that will be provided to participants. Pre-production planning, post-production procedures, character development, dialogue composition, story building, and narrative development are all covered in the training courses. The goal is to give participants the know-how to create compelling and commercially viable film content, which will increase production in the Benin Republic.
Creatives between the ages of 18 and 35 who speak English well and are dedicated to finishing the 14-month program in the Benin Republic are eligible to apply. The registration period for applicants is from October 17, 2024, to December 20, 2024. The Sèmè City Film Lab can be found at www.semecity.ebonylifecreativeacademy.com for additional information.
The establishment of a vibrant community of youthful artists who can generate top-notch cinematic content is made possible by the Sèmè City Film Lab, which is essential in revolutionizing the Benin Republic’s screen industries.
The Benin Republic’s productions are shown by the Sèmè City Film Lab through the use of local tales and filming locations.
EbonyLife Media CEO Mo Abudu expresses her excitement, saying, “We are incredibly honored to collaborate with Sèmè City on this innovative project. Our goal of giving creative entrepreneurs the resources and chances they require to thrive is reflected in this collaboration. We are dedicated to ensuring that every person in this program has a really transforming experience, and the Beninese government’s support is extremely valuable.”
“The Sèmè City Film Lab represents a significant milestone in creating new opportunities for young people in the film and television sectors,” continues Claude Borna, Managing Director of Sèmè City.
By bringing together talent from the Benin Republic and Nigeria and promoting synergies, this collaboration between Sèmè City and EbonyLife Media brings up previously unheard-of vistas. With this project, we hope to bring captivating and motivational tales to television that will enthrall viewers in the Benin Republic and beyond.”
Sèmè City, the government of the Benin Republic’s flagship project for the development of human capital, is home to prestigious universities, cutting-edge research facilities, and incubators for start-ups and creative young businesses in a range of industries. Key topics such as digital technology, design, data science, artificial intelligence, screen industries, and fashion are the emphasis of the initial programs.
Prominent organizations like the World Bank, Enabel, Epitech, École de Design Nantes Atlantique, Sorbonne University, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Gobelins, Institut Français de la Mode, and EbonyLife Media are among Sèmè City’s institutional and academic partners.
Concerning EbonyLife Creative Academy and EbonyLife Media:
Africa’s top media company, EbonyLife Media, a division of the EbonyLife Group, is led by CEO Mo Abudu. It includes EbonyLife Studios, EbonyLife Place, EbonyLife Films, and the EbonyLife Creative Academy (ELCA). EbonyLife Media is dedicated to presenting African stories on a global scale and creates high-quality content that engages, inspires, and uplifts viewers everywhere.
With funding from the Lagos State Government via the Lagos State Creative Industry Initiative (LACI), ELCA was founded to provide prospective and working professionals with the technical and practical skills they need.
