Eagles Academy opens doors for African filmmakers

How often do you switch on the television to Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Jennifer Lopez or some other Hollywood A-lister? The world has become a global village and so westernised that often our own stories remain untold. And who better to tell African stories, than Africans themselves?

Students showcasing their talents on stage

Eagles Academy is a television, film and media training school for adults from the township, urban and peri-urban areas of Gauteng who cannot afford traditional film schools. It was founded by Nonkuleko “Nonku” Ndluvu, an actress, producer and entrepreneur, who also runs the “I Don’t” movement against domestic violence.

Nonku has clearly taken notice of the hidden talents in the townships and wants to showcase them to the world – with a goal to break the entry barriers in the industry.

“Barriers to entry are huge and require large capital investment and we hope to widen the possibility of entrance into the TV, film, theater and media industry,” she says.

After a year of training, Eagles Academy places its students in internships and finds them employment opportunities in the industry. These placements allow them to put into practice what they have learnt during their year of study.

The Eagles are definitely soaring! Today, many graduates are rubbing shoulders with the who’s-who in the film industry. The students have been featured in 2 films produced by David Kau’s Production company, while others have appeared on popular SABC2 soapie Muvhango. There have even been a few Eagle graduates shadowing Arnold Schwarzenegger on set.

Being visionaries, Eagles are here to place television and film-making in another realm. “We seek to be known for storytelling that has great messaging & responsible film making”, they say.