Realness Institute Strengthens Producing and Writing Skills Development in African Film and Television Industry with New Board and Alumni Advisory Council

Cape Town, SA, 9 March 2026: Cape Town-based Realness Institute, the pioneering organisation that supports the growth of independent African storytellers in cinema and television, has announced the appointment of a new Board and Alumni Advisory Council to steer the organisation into a new era of sustainability.

Since its inception in 2015, Realness has been a driving force in supporting African voices through skills development programmes in writing and producing, as well as networking opportunities that connect talent to professionals both on the continent and internationally. Its programmes include the prestigious Creative Producer Indaba, a fellowship for producers focused on sustainability and co-financing opportunities that can stabilise their companies and careers, and the AuthenticA Series Lab, which supports the development of episodic content in partnership with StoryBoard Collective and Series Mania.

The institute has empowered more than 200 film industry professionals who have gone on to become award-winning producers, writers and directors, with premieres and wins at festivals including Sundance, Cannes and the Venice Film Festival.

Alongside the appointment of four new Board members, nine alumni from across various Realness programmes will serve on an advisory Sub-Committee to the Board. Drawing on their hands-on experience of the programmes, they will support both the Board and the operational team by contributing to the development of an alumni network offering and helping shape the strategic direction of the organisation.

The new Realness Institute Board comprises Dillion Phiri (South Africa), a filmmaker, founder and creative entrepreneur known for building platforms and networks such as Creative Nestlings, which boasts more than 100,000 creatives and aims to unlock the power of creative tech to drive Africa’s transformation; Enyinnaya Omeruah (Nigeria), a talent manager and film financier with extensive experience in film production and distribution; Moussa Sene Absa (Senegal), a painter, writer, musician and award-winning film director whose works have been celebrated at Carthage, FESPACO and Berlinale, and whose paintings have been exhibited in Europe and North America; and Thabiso Molefe (South Africa), a media and communications professional with experience in television, public sector strategic communication and political stakeholder engagement across the SADC region.

The Sub-Committee comprising Realness alumni includes sales agent and independent consultant Berry Hahn (Madagascar, France); filmmaker and producer Godisamang Khunou (South Africa); screenwriter, director and producer Kudi Maradzika (Zimbabwe, South Africa), who was recently named to the Forbes Africa Over 30 Under 50 list; screenwriter Omotunde Akiode (Nigeria), who has extensive experience working on live-action shows; director, artist and founder of Kulunga Filmes Lara Sousa (Mozambique); filmmaker and producer trained in fine arts working across documentary and fiction Maéva Ranaïvojaona (Madagascar, France); filmmaker and producer with extensive experience in production and film financing Mimi Bartels (Nigeria); director, producer and writer Tapiwa Chipfupa (Zimbabwe); and story development executive and producer Tshenolo Mabale (South Africa).

“Across much of Africa, the near-absence of government support for film and television means filmmakers are left to shoulder every risk alone — and that's simply not sustainable,” says Mehret Mandefro, Managing Director and co-founder of Realness Institute.

“With a committed, skilled and film-savvy Board now in place, and the deep experience of our Alumni Advisory Council Sub-Committee, we are ready to provide African screen talent with the structural support they deserve — the kind that makes sustainability inevitable.”

For more information on the Realness Institute, visit https://www.realness.institute/.