From Script to Screen with AI: 2027 Akuna academy
Akuna Learning and Google invite emerging visual storytellers in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa to a free twelve-week online academy. The programme covers filmmaking, animation, advertising and screenwriting, with mentorship and a later competitive pitch process. Applicants need a creative work sample. Production funding is reserved for selected teams, so admission or graduation does not guarantee a grant.
Online · Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa
Before you apply
Check residence and nationality requirements separately, confirm what costs you would cover, and allow time to prepare every required document. This listing is a guide; the organiser makes the eligibility decision.
- Status
- Open
- Organizer
- The Akuna Group / Akuna Learning, in partnership with Google
- Who can apply
- Individuals aged 18 or older at application, physically resident in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone or South Africa. Aspiring/emerging filmmakers, visual artists, photographers, animators, designers, editors and other storytellers need a body of creative work. Prior AI experience is not required. Laptop access, reliable internet, consistent power and full programme participation are required.
- Funding & support
- No application fee or tuition. Graduates may propose projects; a small number of selected teams receive production funding. No individual grant, stipend or funding amount per team is promised. Creators retain their IP; funded projects require a separate agreement.
- Application fees
- No application fee and no tuition.
- Travel support
- Primarily online, with some in-person opportunities. Travel or visa support is not specified.
- Accommodation
- Accommodation support is not specified.
- Disciplines
- Visual arts, Photography, Animation, Film, Screenwriting, Design
- Deadline
- Applications close 15 November 2026. The exact closing hour and timezone are not stated on the reviewed official pages; apply early.Closing time / timezone not confirmed
- Programme dates
- Akuna's application page, FAQ and calendar list a 25 January 2027 start, with the twelve-week academy ending 18 April. Google's 28 October announcement instead says February 2027. The start date is therefore conflicting: confirm with the organiser before making plans. Later team selection, mentoring and production are conditional.
- What to prepare
- Applicants supply laptop access, reliable internet and power. Prepare a CV/profile and proof of ID, one work sample, a personal statement up to 250 words, and a 60–90 second introduction video. Moving-image samples may be up to three minutes.
- How to apply
- Apply as an individual through the official portal; choose one preferred pathway from Fiction, Documentary, Animation, Screenwriting or Advertising. Submit personal details, professional profile, work sample, statement and introduction video. Preference does not guarantee pathway placement. Confirm technical availability and review consent/identity-verification requirements.
- Selection process
- The calendar lists screening, creative assessment and final review; the final cohort is due to be confirmed on 14 December 2026. Graduates can propose ideas. Shortlisted idea owners form teams, receive mentoring and pitch to panels; only selected projects receive funding.
- Admission & access
- Online academy with live sessions, assignments and progress check-ins. Apply through the official linked Award Force portal. Review its data-use and participation declarations before submitting.