Kunle Afolayan’s KAP Academy Concludes Pan-African Filmmaking Bootcamp

The 12-week KAP–SOPA Pan-African Filmmaking Bootcamp is set to conclude with a high-profile three-day graduation and film premiere designed to celebrate continental collaboration, professional mentorship and the future of African cinema.

The landmark initiative is a partnership between Kunle Afolayan’s KAP Film & Television Academy and the Government of the Republic of Benin through its audio-visual agency, SOPA. The programme is bringing together emerging creative talents from Benin and experienced professionals from across Africa and the international film industry.

The three-day event will attract prominent figures in global cinema, including Oscar-nominated filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, veteran film curator and festival director Keith Shiri, acclaimed filmmaker and media entrepreneur Femi Odug­bemi, and internationally renowned producer Virginie Besson-Silla.

The event will take place at the KAP Film Village & Resort in Nigeria, following an intensive 12-week training programme that combined classroom instruction with practical filmmaking experience.

Twenty young Beninese creatives selected for the programme are expected to unveil original short films produced during the training. Their works represent the culmination of a journey that began with four weeks of intensive theoretical training in Cotonou, Benin, before participants moved to Nigeria for a hands-on production residency.

The programme was established under a Memorandum of Understanding signed earlier this year between the relevant partners. Its organisers say the collaboration was designed to address some of the gaps within Africa’s film industry by providing young creatives with professional training, practical production experience and opportunities to build cross-border networks.

Kunle Afolayan, founder of the KAP Group, said the initiative was conceived to encourage African filmmakers to think beyond national boundaries and explore the continent as an interconnected creative ecosystem.

“This program was conceptualized to transcend borders,” Afolayan said.

He explained that combining Beninese artistic heritage with Nigeria’s established film-production infrastructure would create opportunities for a new generation of filmmakers to collaborate and develop projects across African markets.

According to him, the programme is intended to encourage participants to see Africa not as a collection of isolated film markets but as a broader creative space capable of supporting collaboration and shared growth.

The graduation and premiere will go beyond the formal presentation of certificates, with the organisers describing the gathering as a major convergence of filmmakers, government officials, diplomats, cultural leaders and industry stakeholders from Nigeria, Benin and the wider African diaspora.

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The three-day programme is expected to provide opportunities for participants and industry professionals to interact, exchange ideas and discuss issues shaping the development of African cinema.

In addition to celebrating the achievements of the bootcamp participants, the KAP Group is expected to use the occasion to announce another major initiative — ITAN, The Screen Gathering and Awards.

The annual Pan-African film conference is scheduled to launch in 2027 and is intended to create a recurring platform for conversations around key issues affecting the continent’s film and creative industries.

Afolayan said the proposed platform would focus on areas including film financing, press release distribution, policy harmonisation and technological advancement.

The conference is expected to bring together filmmakers, producers, policymakers, investors, media organisations and other stakeholders to discuss ways of strengthening cooperation and creating sustainable opportunities within Africa’s rapidly evolving film ecosystem.

The KAP–SOPA bootcamp and the proposed ITAN conference reflect a broader emphasis on cross-border collaboration within Africa’s creative sector. By connecting emerging filmmakers with established professionals and production resources, the organisers hope to create pathways for skills development and greater interaction between different African film industries.

As the participants prepare to present their short films at KAP Film Village & Resort, the graduation will serve both as the culmination of their 12-week training and as a platform for broader conversations about the future of African cinema.

Afolayan said the events would demonstrate the potential of structured creative partnerships across the continent and provide a platform for showcasing the capabilities of emerging African filmmakers.