Idris Elba to Launch Free AI Filmmaking Programme in Africa

An AI filmmaking programme for African creators opened on October 26, 2026 in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa. Applications are live at AkunaLearning.com.

Akuna Learning, from The Akuna Group, chaired by Sir Idris Elba, 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.

Applications are open now at AkunaLearning.com and close on 15 November 2026. The programme is free to apply and, for those selected, free to attend.

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.

From Foundation to Funded Film

Every participant will complete a foundational course in AI filmmaking; then participants will be able to choose to specialise 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.

Sir Idris Elba, Chairman of The Akuna Group, said: 'For me, this is about learning. This is about access to courses that help educate creators across the continent to tell their stories. Through Akuna Learning, we're partnering with Google and Curious Refuge on 'From Script to Screen with AI', a remarkable training and mentorship programme teaching African filmmakers to use AI tools. Selected projects will receive production funding, and creators will retain control of their work. I'm looking forward to seeing the stories they choose, and how the education leads to employment and self-momentum, but helps shape the narrative of Africa.'

Khaled Gad, Chief Executive Officer of The Akuna Group, said: 'Training on its own does not build an industry. Creators need a route from the classroom to the screen, and this programme carries them all the way, from their first application to a finished, funded film. It opens on the same day and runs to the same standard in all five countries. You do not need a film school background or any experience with AI to apply. You need finished work that shows what you can do, and your application in by 15 November.'

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online at AkunaLearning.com 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.

About The Akuna Group

The Akuna Group is a pan-African creative economy organisation chaired by Sir Idris Elba. It builds the skills, capital and platforms that let African creators make, own and distribute their work.

Akuna Learning is the education platform of The Akuna Group. From Script to Screen with AI is its flagship programme, delivered in partnership with Google. Find out more at AkunaLearning.com.

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