Nigerian filmmakers, screenwriters, animators and digital content creators can apply for a free artificial intelligence (AI) filmmaking programme launched by Akuna Learning, an initiative of Idris Elba’s Akuna Group, in collaboration with Google.
The programme, known as From Script to Screen with AI, opened applications on October 26 across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone and South Africa, offering selected participants training, mentorship and opportunities to secure funding to produce films using AI tools.
Supported by $1 million in funding from Google.org, the initiative is designed to help aspiring and emerging African storytellers develop their creative skills and take their projects from initial concepts to finished productions.
Applications are open until November 15, 2026, through the programme’s website, with participation free for successful applicants. The curriculum has been developed by Curious Refuge, an AI filmmaking education company.
According to the organisers, the programme will run for more than 50 weeks, beginning with a 12-week online academy before progressing to mentorship, project pitching and film production. Selected teams will receive funding to produce their films, which are scheduled to be showcased in October 2027.
The initiative is open to a broad range of creative professionals, including filmmakers, writers, photographers, designers, editors, visual artists and digital content producers. Applicants are not required to have prior experience with AI tools or formal film school qualifications.
Participants will first complete a foundational course in AI filmmaking before choosing one of five specialisation areas: fiction, documentary, animation, advertising or screenwriting.
The fiction pathway will focus on narrative filmmaking and scripted productions, while documentary participants will develop skills in factual storytelling. Animation will cover animated narratives and visual design, advertising will focus on commercial content and creative campaigns, and screenwriting will address script development, dialogue and story structure.
Idris Elba, chairman of The Akuna Group, said the programme was intended to expand access to filmmaking education and enable African creators to tell their stories using emerging technologies.
Through the initiative, Elba said the partnership with Google and Curious Refuge would provide creators with AI filmmaking training and mentorship, while giving selected projects access to production funding.
He added that the programme would allow creators to retain control of their work, with neither the organisers nor their partners claiming ownership rights over the films produced.
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.”
The programme will be implemented in five stages, beginning with applications and selection between October 2026 and January 2027. Applications will be reviewed by panels in each participating country before a final panel considers submissions across the five markets.
Successful applicants will begin the 12-week online academy in February 2027, with training continuing until April. The organisers also plan to hold in-person meet-ups in each country, with participants receiving certification upon completion of the course.
Graduates will subsequently be invited to submit one-page film ideas. Shortlisted applicants will form teams and participate in four weeks of mentoring with industry professionals and subject experts between April and June 2027.
Teams whose projects receive endorsement from their mentors will pitch to panels comprising representatives from Akuna, Google and the wider creative industry. The selected projects will receive funding for production, with filming and technical support scheduled between July and October 2027.
The completed films will then be taken to festivals and showcases, giving participating creators opportunities to present their work to wider audiences.
To qualify, applicants must be at least 18 years old, reside physically in one of the five participating countries and have access to a laptop, reliable internet connectivity and consistent electricity throughout the programme.
They must also be able to commit to the full 12-week academy running from February to April 2027 and participate in subsequent stages if selected to progress.
Applicants are required to submit samples of their existing creative work to demonstrate their abilities and commitment, although the organisers said submissions could be modest in scope. Women have also been strongly encouraged to apply.
The programme comes as AI tools create new possibilities for film development, animation, visual effects and other aspects of content production, while raising questions about how creators can access the skills, resources and funding needed to use the technology effectively.
