Four African Storytellers Chosen for AuthenticA Series Lab by The Realness Institute 

Four African screenwriters have been selected to join the 2025 cohort of the AuthenticA Series Lab, a global programme designed to help storytellers refine their original ideas into world-class episodic content.

The Realness Institute, in partnership with The StoryBoard Collective and the Canada Media Fund, announced the chosen participants: Nigerian-British poet and filmmaker Joladé Olusanya, Ghanaian storyteller Gamel Apalayine, Kenyan screenwriter and author Mona Ombogo, and Egyptian-Canadian filmmaker Reem Morsi.

The year-long lab, now in its fourth edition, allows participants to develop pilot scripts, pitch decks, and series bibles that meet international industry standards while retaining full ownership of their intellectual property.

The programme begins with an 8-day residency in South Africa this September, continues with online mentorship until December, and resumes with residencies in Switzerland and France in 2026. The final stage will take place in March 2026 and will see the writers pitch their projects at the Series Mania Forum in Lille, Europe’s biggest co-production series market.

For many of the selected creatives, the lab marks a continuation of impressive careers. Apalayine has won awards for his bold storytelling in theatre and film, including the Zanzibar International Film Festival. Warner Bros Ombogo produced Olusanya’s poetic documentary, which is celebrated for her writing on central Netflix and Showmax productions. At the same time, Morsi is known for films that champion human rights, which have been screened at TIFF and Berlinale.

Selina Ukwuoma, director of writing programmes, and Mehret Mandefro, interim managing director of the Realness Institute, will guide the initiative and ensure the writers’ visions are nurtured into fully realised stories.

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Chinalurumogu Eze

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