Akuna Learning, from The Akuna Group, chaired by Sir Idris Elba, today opened applications for From Script to Screen with AI, a free programme that equips eligible African creators to tell stories on screen leveraging artificial intelligence.
Delivered in collaboration with Google and supported by US$1 million funding from Google.org, with curriculum developed by Curious Refuge, the programme is open to aspiring filmmakers in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa.
Over fifty weeks, selected creators will move from a twelve-week academy into mentoring, pitching and production. Selected funded teams will make their films, which will be showcased in October 2027. Creators will maintain control of their work, with no claim of ownership rights by the programme or partners running it.
Every participant will complete a foundational course in AI filmmaking; then participants will be able to choose to specialize in one of five creative pathways:
- Fiction: narrative filmmaking and scripted storytelling, from short film to series.
- Documentary: real-world stories and factual filmmaking.
- Animation: animated storytelling, motion design and visual world-building.
- Advertising: branded storytelling, commercial content and creative campaigns.
- Screenwriting: script development, dialogue and structure, writing from page to screen.
The programme is structured in five stages:
- Applications & Selection (October 2026 to January 2027). One open call across all five countries, closing on 15 November 2026, with review panels in each country and a final panel looking across all five.
- Learn & Get Certified (February to April 2027). Twelve weeks of online training with Curious Refuge, with weekly Akuna facilitation, in-person meet-ups in every country and certification at the end.
- Get Mentoring (April to June 2027). Graduates put forward their own one-page ideas. Shortlisted idea owners build teams, which then spend four weeks with mentors and subject experts.
- Pitch Your Film (June to July 2027). Mentor-endorsed teams pitch to panels drawn from Akuna, Google and the wider industry. Selected projects are funded.
- Produce Your Film (July to October 2027). Funded teams make their films with creative and technical support, then take them to festivals and showcases. The programme is for aspiring and emerging visual storytellers: filmmakers, screenwriters, animators, advertisers, digital content creators, photographers, designers, editors and visual artists. Applicants do not need AI experience, a film school qualification or a set number of years in the industry.
How to apply
APPLY between 26 October and 15 November 2026.
Applicants must:
- physically reside in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone or South Africa;
- be 18 or older on the date of application;
- have access to a laptop, reliable internet and consistent power for the duration of the programme;
- be able to commit fully to the twelve-week academy from February to April 2027, and to the later stages if they progress.
Applicants should include existing creative work, however modest, that shows their talent and commitment. Women are strongly encouraged to apply.
source: APO