African screenwriters unveil genre shows at Series Mania
Four African screenwriters will pitch their original TV projects to industry guests at the 17th Series Mania in Lille, France on Tuesday.
The quartet is the latest participant in the Realness Institute’s AuthenticA Series Lab, an episodic screenwriting program run in partnership with The StoryBoard Collective and with support from the Canada Media Fund and the Series Mania Forum.
On March 24, Reem Morsi (Egypt/Canada) will take the stage during the AuthenticA African Series Pitch, which features the dark comedy “Humanitarians!” will pitch; Gamel Apalayine (Ghana), with the mystery drama series “The Gospel According to Charlotte Nelson”; Mona Ombogo (Kenya), who will pitch the romantic thriller series “Kanaan”; and Joladé Olusanya (Nigeria/UK), who will present the sports epic ‘Kid: The Hogan Bassey Story’.
Now in its fourth edition, the AuthenticA Series Lab supports and mentors African writers in developing globally competitive television series, allowing them to pitch and connect with international partners, financiers and producers. The pitching session in Lille follows six months of intensive development for the four screenwriters, who benefited from hands-on mentorship and support.
“Providing African writers with a safe space to develop the stories they want to tell, with the tools they need to tell them, is still a rare intervention,” says creative producer Mehret Mandefro, director of the Realness Institute. “These four writers are proof of what becomes possible when that space actually exists.”
“Each year, AuthenticA writers are encouraged to tell the stories they have quietly hidden – the bold, difficult and complex stories,” said Selina Ukwuoma, script consultant and director of writing programs at the institute. “With the support the lab provides, writers consistently push the boundaries. They find a way to tell these groundbreaking stories, and in doing so, they redefine the story of Africa.”
Morsi is an award-winning writer, director and multi-genre filmmaker with a background in professional diving and human rights advocacy. Her feature film ‘Banned’ just started its festival tour and she directed the film ‘Queen Tut’ and episodes of the CBC Gem series ‘Virgins!’. Her series “Fish” won WIFTV’s Canadian National Genre Competition and is currently in development, along with two other scripted projects.
Apalayine is a storyteller who works in the fields of film, television, theater and music. He was head writer for 560 episodes of the Ghanaian hit series “Dede” and two seasons of the Showmax original drama series “Eno.” He is developing a range of film, TV and theater projects through his creative company Whistling Rocks.
Ombogo is an award-winning screenwriter and best-selling author whose credits include the Netflix original musical drama series “Volume,” for which she received the 2024 Women in Film Award for Best Screenwriter and the Best Writing in a Series award at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. She was head writer for M-Net’s ‘Salem and Shanga’ and contributed to Showmax’s ‘Single Kiasi’.
Olusanya is a poet, filmmaker and photographer who tells intimate stories, combining lyrical texts with cinematic images. He has exhibited his work internationally on behalf of the BBC and Barbican. Through his company By the Kin, he develops short films and an original TV series while building community-led projects.
“At the Series Mania Forum, we are excited to present these four extraordinary talents from Africa on a global stage, where their rich and diverse stories can captivate the international industry,” said Francesco Capurro, Director of the Series Mania Forum. “We are proud to champion their voices and look forward to the impact they will make globally.”
Laure de Peretti de la Rocca, Executive Director of The StoryBoard Collective, added: “The AuthenticA Series Lab is not only a long-term creative development program, but also provides writers with the market knowledge and industry access needed to protect their voices. We support storytellers whose perspectives deserve much greater visibility on screen and create pathways to international partners ready to bring those stories to life.”
In the photo (from left to right): Mona Ombogo, Gamel Apalayine, Jolade Olusanya, Reem Morsi
