25-year-old Sarah Severin Kimario works as a system engineer and software developer but dreams of being a successful scriptwriter and director. She is excited about learning from Njoki Muhoho, the eastern Africa Academy Director, who is an award-winning producer as well as a feature film and series script writer. “Now that I have met her, read about who she is, what she has done and continues to do for the industry, I look up to her and I hope to learn a lot from her,” said Sarah.
Samuel Masaku Makau has a deep fascination with Ancient African studies, “The best thing about Africa is that thousands of years ago our ancestors civilised the earth,” says the 24-year-old Kenyan videographer and editor. He wants to research and narrate forgotten African tales and the stories of elders to the rest of the world. One day he hopes to travel to Egypt to quench his fascination with the hidden texts, symbols and knowledge found inside the ancient pyramids.
“If I could create a TV show it would be Africa’s Got Talent,” says 23-year-old Millan Khamsali Lwanga from Nairobi, Kenya. “Because I believe that Africans are very talented.”
The journalism graduate is pursuing a career as a filmmaker. His role model is Jeta Amata – a renowned Nigerian director, film producer and screenwriter.
“I look up to him for his creative works with the African story.
I was inspired by his film Black November, which showcased the environmental struggle to protect the Niger delta based on real events.
Though she may be one of the youngest MTF interns, Michelle Achieng Ang’awa is already working as a second camera assistant with the vision of becoming a director of photography and screenwriter in the future. “I look up to Lupita Nyong’o. She taught me that all dreams are valid and through her I have been able to discover my true self,” says the 18-year-old Kenyan. Michelle hopes that MTF will help her bring Africa’s film industry to the spotlight.
Twenty-three-year-old Mary Wanjiku Waweru has always known what she has wanted, which is why she studied Theatre Arts and Film Studies. Today, she works as a video editor. “I aspire to become an animator. There are very few animators and more so women animators, not just in Kenya but in Africa. I hope to become one of the greatest,” she says, which is why she enrolled in MTF.