Exclusive: Four screenwriters from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt will take part in the fourth edition of the Authingica Series Lab, a development programme of the South Africa-based Realness Institute, to help writers move their series ideas into pilot scripts.
The filmmaker is Gamer Appalayain from Ghana and works in film, television, theater and music. Jorade Orsanya, a Nigerian and British poet, filmmaker and photographer. Kenyan screenwriter and author Mona Omboo. Egyptian Canadian filmmaker Riem Morsi wrote and directed the 2024 comedy. Prohibited.
The Authentica programme begins with a residency in South Africa’s Western Cape province in September and will be held online sessions until mid-December.
The second residence in Geneva will be held in January-March 2026, with a final residency at Lille in March, with participants pitching the project as part of the Series Mania Forum Africa Series Pitch.
The lab will be led by Mehret Mandefro, Interim Managing Director of Realness Institute, and will be led by Director of the Writing Program, Selina Ukwuoma.
Story expert Mmabatho Kau and creative producer Thandeka Zwana have joined the teaching team.
“Giving African writers the time and space to get closer to their voices remains a critical intervention in the landscape that has not been invested in the pre-writing and writing phase of development,” Mandefro said.
“We see a well of undeveloped possibilities. It brings a vision rooted in the wisdom of the space they come in, and our job is to show them how they can bring people on their journeys with them,” Ukwuoma added.
Authingica aims to provide participants with professionally developed pitch decks, pilot scripts and series “Bible” to series that align with international standards, and to help them propose funding and support for episode projects.
The lab operates in partnership with Storyboard Collective and the Canadian Media Fund.
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