The two thrilling movies Gone and Everything Light Touches were directed and produced by the MTF West Africa Academy Class of 2024 students who graduated last year and are guaranteed to make a powerful impact on West African viewers.

Gone is a dramatic crime-action thriller bursting with suspense and intrigue. Everything Light Touches, on the other hand, is a moving human drama, with compelling characters and a thrilling plot.  

“These two movies are an excellent showcase for the work that MTF does, and the calibre of graduates that we produce,” says MTF West Africa Academy director Atinuke Ngozi Babatunde. “The production values of the two films are world class, and they can easily stand alongside the international content on Africa Magic channels.”

Everything Light Touches directed by Elma Baisie and Adejo "Story Priest” Emmanuel tells the story of Abayomi, a gifted autistic teenager who becomes lost after a tragic incident that sees him carrying the hopes of a group of misfits in an underground tournament. Meanwhile, his traumatised family races to find him, even as they battle to confront their own emotional demons.

In Gone directed by Anjola Aluko and Oke “Tbasz” Omotola a family is thrown into turmoil when a skeleton is found in their septic tank. This leads to a dramatic police investigation, which unearths buried secrets and opens deep wounds. The secrets threaten to shatter the family’s already fragile bonds.

MTF Academies in Lagos, Nairobi and Lusaka offer multi-disciplinary training programmes to develop the next generation of African storytellers. Every year, classes of students graduate from MTF academies, unleashing cohorts of 60 young creatives 20 from each Academy to bolster the ranks of the continent’s film industry.

In 2024, MTF West Africa Academy students completed a 12-month programme of workshops, lectures, practical film productions and masterclasses, where they gained skills in everything from screenwriting and editing to sound design, producing and directing.

The MTF course is created in collaboration with home-grown and international partners, such as the Pan-Atlantic University, New York Film Academy and Indian satellite TV channel: Zee World. These partners provide training, course content and internship opportunities that equip MTF students to excel in their career journeys.

“The numerous partnerships that MTF has built ensures that the work of our students is globally competitive,” says Atinuke. “At the same time, our courses emphasise the African storytelling tradition that ensures our movies tell authentic, relevant stories that reflect the lives of modern African audiences.”

Gone premieres on 7 March 2025 at 6pm on Africa Magic Showcase and will be shown again on Africa Magic Family on 8 March 2025 at 4:30pm.

Everything Light Touches will have its premiere on 8 March 2025 at 8pm on Africa Magic Showcase, and it returns on Africa Magic Family at 8pm on 12 March 2025.