As parts of its corporate social responsibility and capacity development programmes, the African Film Academy has expanded its Film in a Box (FIB) project to direct the creative energy of young men and women towards making a career in film making.

The programme seeks to enhance the opportunities for young people in Africa by using filmmaking and creative works to develop skills which would eventually impact on the economy of Africa nations and develop young players in the industry.

The film in a box project which is a 21-day intensive training in different aspects of film making has taken place in three countries in Africa namely, Lagos- Nigeria ,Johannesburg-South Africa. and is now starting in , Banjul-Gambia

According to a statement by the Chief Operating Officer of AFA (South Africa), Ms. Hamida Suleiman the organization developed a Training Package called Film in a Box four years ago in Nigeria as another flagship brand of the Africa Film Academy’s stable alongside the pan-Africa movie awards- Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA).

The training is designed as an all-round course with modules taking the shape of team building and teamwork over a period of 21 days of intensive training. The project started in July this year in South Africa with the first batch of 18 students who underwent an intensive program and graduated on 21st august.

Speaking further on the project, Suleiman explained, “FIB also bridges the gap between expensive film schools and those who want to start but with limited resources to attend the mainstream tertiary education. There is a huge demand for such training around Africa.

Many of our people want to know the basic rudiments of film making but sometimes they can’t afford the total cost demanded by the traditional film schools. We are just occupying that niche with film in a box.

“In addition it is during the second part of the program that the training’s major element- practical comes alive. Here students are made to produce, shoot, edit and work on the marketing and distribution of a real film intended for television release.”