A young creative participating in a BIFIF Academy session
BIFIF Talent Development Programme

Talent is everywhere.
Opportunity should be too.

BIFIF Academy equips emerging African creatives with practical screen-industry skills, mentorship and pathways into professional production.

BIFIF Academy participants gathered for a learning session

Learn · Make · Connect

Education designed around practice, access and a thriving creative community.

Our purpose

Building careers, not only classrooms

Widely known as BIFIF Academy, the BIFIF Talent Development Programme is the festival’s flagship human-capital initiative. It responds to the needs of aspiring filmmakers, producers, writers and content creators through practical education, mentorship and access to an active creative network.

The programme grew from work begun in November 2015 with the MyBadagry MyFuture International Foundation. Through initiatives including Meet The Mentors Africa and Ahna Workshop, more than 5,000 emerging practitioners have received training and exposure.

Each cohort is designed to identify promising talent and connect standout participants with indigenous and international production environments for internships, further learning and professional experience. The Academy deliberately encourages the participation of young women, supporting greater diversity behind and in front of the camera.

Register your interest
2015

Talent programme established

5,000+

Emerging practitioners trained

5+

Top students connected to opportunities per cohort

Africa

A growing cross-border creative community

Learning tracks

Learn the craft by making

A multidisciplinary curriculum built around the real creative and technical demands of film, television and digital production.

01

Mobile Filmmaking

Instructor-led demonstrations and practical exercises that turn a smartphone into an accessible storytelling tool.

Camera basicsShot designSocial content
02

Camera, Lighting & Drone

Cinematography for short films and features, lighting for camera, visual composition and responsible aerial operations.

CinematographyLightingDrone operations
03

Sound & Post-production

Capture clean production sound and shape stories through editing, audio-visual technique and post-production workflows.

Sound recordingEditingAudio-visual technique
04

Writing & Producing

Develop compelling screen narratives and understand the creative planning required to move an idea toward production.

ScreenwritingProducingStory development
05

Design, Makeup & Effects

Build believable screen worlds through production design, special-effects makeup, practical effects and VFX foundations.

Production designSFX makeupVFX
06

Locations & Prop Making

Learn location scouting and management alongside hands-on prop craft using sculpture, moulding, wood, fabric and restoration.

Location scoutingProp makingSet readiness
Specialist workshop

Props, materials and imagined worlds

The Prop Making Workshop introduces participants to the materials, tools and problem-solving methods used by art departments across film, television and theatre.

Participants explore practical disciplines such as mould-making, sculpture, life-casting, prosthetics, puppetry, armour, woodwork, upholstery and restoration—finishing the experience with physical pieces they have made themselves.

Practical, project-led training

Inside the Academy

Learning in motion

The next cohort

Your story can begin here

BIFIF Academy works with MyBadagry MyFuture International Foundation, Meet The Mentors Africa, Ahna Workshop, Gbagi Communications and industry partners to create accessible pathways into the screen industries.