Nigeria’s entertainment executive, Mo Abudu has partnered with British actor, Idris Elba to partner in several television and TV projects aimed at empowering and uplifting talent from Africa and in the Diaspora.
DEADLINE reports that the partnership between Abudu’s EbonyLife Media and Elba’s Green Door Pictures, the first of its kind in Africa, is double pronged, first, to build TV and film capacity in Africa, and second, to produce large scale global productions.
To build TV and film talents in Africa, the initiative will deploy Abudu’s EbonyLife Creative Academy which trains young talents in many aspects of television and filmmaking, as a model for replicating such academies across the continent.
This will ensure the partnership’s goal of telling stories set in Africa or the African diaspora targeted at the global market, with focus on authentic, Afrocentric stories that resonate with audiences around the world.
Abudu’s EbonyLife Media has had dealings with Netflix, Sony Pictures Television and Westbrook Studios, is currently working on a Starz drama about Queen Nzinga, featuring American rapper, 50 Cent as Executive Producer. Elba’s Green Door past credits are Netflix Luther: The Fallen Sun, Sky’s In The Long Run, and the BBC’s Idris Elba’s Fight School.
“It’s our mission to offer the best in industry education, mentorship and production opportunities so that our graduates can become valuable contributors to the global media landscape. We plan to hit the running and explore the very best African and black stories have to offer global audiences,” said Abudu.
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For Idris, he has always been passionate about using his platform to make positive impact. “By partnering with Mo, we aim to offer free, world-class industry education to the next generation of storytellers and bring their authentic voices to the forefront.”
