The Akuna Group’s education arm, Akuna Learning, is now accepting submissions for its free AI-driven filmmaking initiative aimed at talent across Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and South Africa. Dubbed From Script to Screen with AI, the initiative partners with Google, backed by a $1 million grant from Google.org.
The 12-week online academy will start on January 25, 2027, and will include a few in-person meet-ups. It will offer a foundation course in AI filmmaking, followed by specialization in one of five pathways: fiction, documentary, animation, advertising, or screenwriting.
Graduates of the program will receive certification and can submit a one-page idea for consideration. The strongest ideas will be shortlisted, and each shortlisted idea owner will build a team to work with mentors before pitching to panels drawn from Akuna, Google, and the wider industry.
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Akuna will fund selected projects, and the funded teams will make their films between July and October 2027. Creators will retain the intellectual property rights to their work. Khaled Gad, CEO of The Akuna Group, states that training on its own does not build an industry. Creators need a route from the classroom to the screen, and this program carries them all the way, from their first application to a finished, funded film.
To apply, individuals must live in one of the five participating countries, be at least 18 years old, and have a laptop, reliable internet, and consistent power. They must also submit an example of their best work, a personal statement, and a short introduction video. The final cohort will be confirmed on December 14, 2026, and Akuna encourages women to apply.
The program’s website notes that only a select few projects will be funded, and not every graduate will join a team. The exact number of places available in the academy and the amount of funding each project will receive are not specified. They plan to have a second intake a year after the first.
