Film school set to change local industry
Sharon Mathala | Tuesday June 16, 2015 13:07
Local industry experts believe the award winning school will change the local film and production scene and play a major move towards the development of the film industry which is still at its infancy stage. One of AFDA’s products, Koketso Mophuting dazzled the local audience when she appeared as Katlego on the famous Thokolosi drama on Btv some years back. Mophuting, who has since relocated to South Africa, now plays the role of Kaone on MNet’s leading soap opera, Isibaya. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the school’s academic administrator, Gerda Dullaart stated that they have won the best student Oscar award in 2006 and has continued to scoop many other accolades including the SAFTAs, Jozi festival best audience award, best documentary and best feature film just to mention a few.
“We pride ourselves in producing industry ready graduates, and with government trying to diversify the local economy it was only fitting that we be a part of this historic move by the Botswana government,” she said. The dean and registrar of the film school, Dr Mothusi Phuthego stated that the Oodi campus would offer eight different programmes on its first intake.
“We will be offering amongst others, a post graduate and undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in motion picture and live performance, Master of fine arts, Bcom in Business innovation which takes three years to complete, as well as a higher Certificate in Film, television and entertainment production,” he said.
AFDA is currently in talks with the private television station eBotswana and state owned Btv to broadcast some of the productions that would be made by its students.