KAP Academy, Benin’s SOPA Launch Pan-African Filmmaking Bootcamp 

Vanessa Obioha

Acclaimed filmmaker Kunle Afolayan’s KAP Film and Television Academy has partnered with the Benin Republic’s Société de Productions Audiovisuelles (SOPA) to launch a fully sponsored filmmaking bootcamp to train the next generation of African storytellers.

Unveiled at a press conference in Cotonou, the KAP-SOPA Pan-African Filmmaking Bootcamp will provide 20 young creatives from Benin with a 12-week intensive programme covering key areas of filmmaking and audiovisual production.

The initiative is the first major project under a memorandum of understanding signed earlier this year between KAP Film and Television Academy and SOPA, a Beninese government agency tasked with developing the country’s audiovisual sector.

The programme, themed Owning the Narrative, will take participants through a cross-border training experience beginning with four weeks of foundational training in the Republic of Benin, followed by one week of industry exposure at the Academy’s hub in Lagos, Nigeria, and a seven-week practical residency at the KAP Film Village and Resort, where they will work alongside established filmmakers on live productions.

Speaking at the launch, Afolayan described the initiative as an investment in Africa’s creative future.

“Africa is rich in talent and stories. Our responsibility is to create opportunities for young creatives to own the narrative, collaborate across borders and tell authentic stories that the world cannot ignore,” he said.

SOPA Managing Director Abedje Sinatou said the partnership aligns with Benin’s goal of building a globally competitive creative workforce by equipping young people with practical skills in filmmaking and audiovisual production.

KAP Film & Television Academy Director Seun Soyinka encouraged the inaugural cohort to seize the opportunity, describing them as pioneers in what could become a defining platform for creative collaboration across the continent.