Three African screenwriters have been selected to pitch their projects at the 16th Series Mania in Lille, France, as part of the AuthenticA African Series Pitch, according to a Variety exclusive. The writers, from South Africa, Uganda, and Kenya, will present their projects on 25 March.
The AuthenticA Series Lab, organised by the Cape Town-based Realness Institute in partnership with the StoryBoard Collective, provides a six-month training programme that combines online workshops, masterclasses with industry professionals, and residencies in South Africa and Switzerland. The programme is supported by the Series Mania Forum and Canada Media Fund.
This year’s selected writers include South Africa’s Mlilo Mpondo, creator of the comedy-drama series Women From the 13th Floor; Uganda’s Talemwa Pius, with his series Mad Bounty and the Midnight Gun; and screenwriter Tony Koros, from Kenya who is developing the comedy series Money Town.
According to the exclusive from Variety, the writers have spent the last six months working with a mentoring team of producers including Mehret Mandefro and Selina Ukwuoma, who also co-designed the program.
Mehret Mandefro, creative producer and acting managing director at the Realness Institute, praised the programme, saying, “Creating dedicated spaces where African screenwriters can explore their voice and refine their craft, supported and uninterrupted, is not just valuable — it’s essential for Africa to determine her future.”
Selina Ukwuoma, script consultant and co-designer of the programme, added, “Through AuthenticA, the writers have had the time and support to nurture both their creative and professional development. They come to Series Mania with a strong sense of who they are and what they have to offer the international market. And it’s fire. They will set the world alight.”
Francesco Capurro, director of the Series Mania Forum, also said, “Series Mania Forum provides an international platform for talented voices from Africa. I’m thrilled that, through this partnership with Realness, we can help them connect with partners and bring their projects to life.”
Mlilo Mpondo’s Women From the 13th Floor, follows Khanya, a college dropout turned prostitute whose life gets turned upside-down when her best friend dies, leaving her to look after her friend’s 6-year-old son.
Talemwa Pius’s Mad Bounty and the Midnight Gun follows the quest by outlaws and bounty hunters to uncover a legendary weapon, one that could dramatically alter the colonial power dynamics across Africa.
Tony Koros’s Money Town is a series set in a Kenyan village, where a sudden windfall in the form of a massive Universal Basic Income grant disrupts the villagers’ lives.
