Yoseph Baye Tegenge is a 26-year-old Ethiopian filmmaker who’s chasing his film directing dream, and is eager to add a sense of pan-Africanism to the industry.
“I really believe the African entertainment industry had great role in Pan-Africanism. The word ‘pan’ itself is [also] a cinema term, and I can [use] cinema [to] unite Africa,” Tegenge explains.
The African film creative he looks up to the most is Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima, particularly for the renowned filmmaker’s advocacy for equality and respect for Africa and black people within the film industry. Tegenge’s favourite film stars are Djimon Hounsou, Lupita Nyong’o, Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep.
Besides film, Tegenge is also passionate about technology as an important player in filmmaking. As part of the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy’s Class of 2019, he hopes to gain more knowledge on film making with courage and discipline, and to thereafter create a strong and long-term collaborative network with MTF Academy counterparts.