Kenyan and Nigerian creators have until 15th November 2026 to apply for From Script to Screen with AI, a free filmmaking programme from Akuna Learning in partnership with Google. Applications opened on 26th October 2026. Residents of Ghana, Sierra Leone and South Africa are also eligible.
There is no application fee or tuition. You can apply without any experience of artificial intelligence, though you will need an example of your creative work. If you already write, take photographs, design or make films, the programme gives you a way to learn how AI could fit into that work.
Akuna Learning is the education platform of The Akuna Group, chaired by actor Idris Elba. Curious Refuge, an AI filmmaking education company, supplies the curriculum, while Akuna Learning handles mentorship. Generative AI can create material such as images and video from instructions. The course teaches creators to use these tools in story development and screen production.
Who can apply and what to prepare
The eligibility rules require applicants to be physically resident in one of the five participating countries and at least 18 years old on the date they apply. You will need access to a laptop, reliable internet and consistent power, and must be available to participate fully from 25th January 2027.
Applications are open to filmmakers, screenwriters, photographers, animators, designers, editors, visual artists and content creators. You apply individually, so you do not need to assemble a production team first.
For the work sample, you can upload or link to a film, photo series, script, animation or design portfolio. Films and other moving-image samples can be up to three minutes long. Akuna’s FAQ says older work is acceptable, and the sample does not have to be professionally produced or involve AI.
Alongside personal and contact details, the application asks for:
- A CV or professional profile, plus proof of identity.
- Your preferred creative pathway and current area of expertise.
- One example of your best creative work.
- A personal statement of up to 250 words explaining why you want to join and your interest in AI storytelling.
- A 60 to 90-second video recorded for this application, in which you introduce yourself and a story you want to explore.
- A declaration covering your ability to participate and the programme’s consent requirements.
You can record the introduction on a phone. Akuna says it judges authenticity and passion, not production quality, so limited equipment need not prevent you from making the video. Choose a strong example of your existing work and explain the story you want to develop.
What the academy involves
The academy runs online, with some opportunities to meet in person. Everyone starts with the same foundation in AI filmmaking, then specialises in fiction, documentary, animation, advertising or screenwriting. You choose one preferred pathway when applying, although Akuna does not guarantee a place on that pathway.
Akuna’s calendar schedules offers and onboarding for 14th December 2026 and the academy’s start for 25th January 2027. The FAQ gives an end date of 18th April 2027. Those twelve weeks include live sessions, assignments and progress check-ins.
Every graduate receives certification and can submit a one-page project idea. If an idea is shortlisted, its owner builds a team and works with mentors to prepare a pitch. Akuna schedules team formation, mentorship and pitching from 19th April to 11th July 2027. For funded teams, production continues until October 2027.
Funding goes to selected projects. You can complete the academy without joining a team or receiving money for a film, and Akuna’s FAQ gives no fixed number of funded projects or amount per project.
Akuna says creators keep the intellectual property, or ownership rights, in their work. Funded projects must sign an agreement before any money moves. The FAQ still has bracketed wording about a distribution window on Google platforms. Applicants should ask what screening or distribution rights they would grant under that agreement.
Last year, we covered Konza and the Kenya Film Commission’s virtual production training initiative. Akuna adds an AI-focused option for Kenyan creators, with participants drawn from five countries. There is no tuition bill, though you still need to plan for equipment, connectivity and time to attend. Read the official application guidance before preparing your work sample and introduction video for the 15th November 2026 deadline.
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