Four filmmakers from 4 African countries have been picked for NEFTi 441, a joint effort to produce a single 20-minute film that supports up-and-coming talent
Watching these creators from varied nations and backgrounds merge their skills into a single work has been remarkable. The African continent holds an immense amount of unrecognized ability.— Paul Robinson, competition founder and administratorNEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, October 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — NEFTi 441 (Four For One) – Four African Filmmakers Collaborate Across Four Countries On One Short Film
Four accomplished filmmakers hailing from four distinct African nations have been chosen to take part in NEFTi 441, an innovative group project aimed at crafting a single 20-minute narrative film. This initiative supports emerging talent and brings people together through storytelling and creative expression.
Each participant receives $3,000 and draws a number between 1 and 4. The filmmaker assigned number 1 picks the storyline and pens the opening five minutes; numbers 2 and 3 each extend the plot in sequence; and number 4 wraps up the tale with the conclusion. Once each writer finishes their segment, the quartet collaborates to merge the parts into a unified film. After that, every filmmaker shoots and edits their own portion within their respective homeland. Since the footage is captured without music and under a uniform flat visual style, a single editor handles the final assembly and post-production tasks, including color grading, while another specialist oversees the score and sound design. The overall budget for the project is projected at $14,000.
The completed 20-minute film is scheduled to debut at the Durban FilmMart in October 2026.
NEFTi 441 (Four for One) marks the newest edition of the NEFTi Film Competition, originally created to find, nurture, and highlight emerging filmmakers from developing economies across the globe. The selected participants — Moreetsi Gabang from Botswana, Henry Joe Sakala from Zambia, Nivolla Musaka from Kenya, and Cheyi Okoaye from Nigeria — are all prior competitors in this event.
Up to this point, the NEFTi Competition has distributed over $60,000 in production funding and more than $40,000 in awards to filmmakers. NEFTi participants have presented their works at various festivals and contests, taking home accolades such as best short and best director. They have also leveraged their NEFTi experience to boost their careers through accelerator initiatives, industry discussions, scriptwriting workshops, and content deals with Showmax and Canal+.
“Watching these four creators from different nations and cultures join forces to produce a singular piece has been incredible,” remarked Paul Robinson, Founder and Coordinator of the NEFTi Competition projects. “The African continent is full of underappreciated talent, and collaborating with such skilled and dedicated filmmakers has been genuinely inspiring.”
NEFT and the International Emerging Film Talent Association (“IEFTA”) have partnered to establish NEFT Emerging Film Talent International (“NEFTi”), a pioneering contest designed to discover, cultivate, and promote rising filmmakers from emerging economies worldwide. With a focus on offering chances to film talent who might otherwise remain unnoticed due to geographic, financial, or logistical barriers, NEFTi chooses participants from numerous economically developing regions.
Gary Springer
Springer Associates PR
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