The Ladima Film Academy was recently launched in an event graced by some of the most respected film industry practitioners. The launch brought together about 70 women from 12 countries including Kenya, Zimbabwe, The Central African Republic, Uganda, Gambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Nigeria. This was seen as a powerful moment ushering in a new era in film education for Africa.
The Ladima Film Academy was supported by The Ladima Foundation in partnership with the DW Akademie. The Academy will see introductory courses being rolled out over the next 6 weeks across seven key film disciplines. This initial roll-out will be followed by intermediate and advanced level courses later in the year.
All the courses in the Ladima Film Academy have been developed by experts in their fields, including Barry Braverman (Cinematography), Cait Pansegrouw and Mehret Mandefro (Creative Producing), James Tayler and Kate Boswell (Documentary Filmmaking, Editing and Directing), Comfort Arthur and Nick Wilson (Animation), Selina Ukwuoma (screenwriting).
Expert film practitioners from Nigeria have also joined the team to co-facilitate these courses. They will become part of the Ladima Film Academy’s first full-time faculty.
These working professionals will bring their years of experience to the on-going development of the following courses
- Emy Yugbovwre (Animation)
- Kagho Idhebor (Cinematography)
- Tope Oshin and Nadine Ibrahim (Directing)
- Aderonke Adeola (Documentary Filmmaking)
- Chuka Ejorh (Editing)
- Bose Oshin (Producing)
- Omotunde Akiode (Screenwriting)
As the online training continues to roll out, expert practitioners from other regions across Africa will also be brought on board to join the faculty as trainers.
The Ladima Film Academy heralds a new dawn for film education on the continent, with plans to consistently roll-out online. Physical trainings across these seven disciplines will be implemented when Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
The Ladima Foundation’s Co-Founder and the Director of the Ladima Film Academy explained, “The Ladima Film Academy is an intentional intervention to provide professional filmmaking training to African women wherever they may reside on the continent. As we build on this initial success, we will recruit expert facilitators to roll out our courses in Francophone and Lusaphone countries.”
The Ladima Film Academy is just one of the initiatives of the Ladima Foundation. The Foundation is a Pan-African non-profit organization founded with the aim of contributing to correcting the major gender imbalances within the film, TV and content industries. The Foundation supports, trains, and mentors women in a variety of roles within the film, TV, and content spaces.
The Foundation also works through partnerships and collaborations in various countries, as well as through Pan-African networks and interventions. This helps to develop training, networking, and related opportunities for women professionals who demonstrate their seriousness and commitment to their craft.