Thursday, July 4th, 2024: Young Africans across the continent have an opportunity to participate in a short film competition and win a total of $ 3,000.
The competition known as “Fill in the Gap” is by Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a non-profit organisation which connects under-served Africans with digital opportunities and ensures digital rights for all.
Young Africans between the ages of 18-30 are required to watch the organisation’s Fourth Short Film- Undersight, which premiered in May, 2024, and is currently on PIN’s YouTube Channel, and ‘Fill in the Gap’ by creating scenarios they would have wished to see based on the movie plot/ story. The competition allows the young viewers to showcase their creativity while angling to participate in the development of PIN’s 5th Short Film.
There will be three prizes to be won, with the winner being awarded USD 1,200, 2nd Runners-Up getting USD 1,000 and 3rd Runners-Up getting USD 800.
The three winners will automatically form part of a shortlist that will grant them the opportunity to develop Synopses and Scripts of the organisation’s 5th Short Film based on the Londa 2023 Report.
The overall winner will then work with the vendor PIN shall have shortlisted to produce the organisation’s 5th Short Film. If none of the three winners from the ‘Fill in the Gap’ Competition develops a winning synopsis and script, that would be the end of their participation in the competition.
For four years in a row, Paradigm Initiative has produced short films from the Londa reports which spotlight the state of digital rights and inclusion across Africa.
The Fourth Short Film, which is the latest in PIN’s stable, is inspired by the 2022 Londa Report which summarises the state of digital rights and inclusion in 24 Africa countries. The movie follows the journey of Omar, a brilliant computer programmer who creates revolutionary data collation software, which is in high demand.
The other short films the organisation has released are Training Day, Focus and Finding Diana.
Training Day, the first of the short films, is based on the organisation’s 2019 Digital Rights in Africa report. It features the story of Jude, whose quest for work takes an unexpected turn. His first day at a tech firm takes an unprecedented turn, leaving him in a deep moral dilemma.
Focus tells the story of Mark, a budding young man who works for an enterprise facilitating financial pay across Africa. Caught up in his world and nonchalant about happenings around him, he soon experiences first-hand the dark side of internet shutdowns, censorship, surveillance, and cyberattacks. He learns the benefit of advocating for others, regardless of personal interest in their cause. The short film is inspired by the 2020 Londa report.
Based on the findings of the Londa 2021 report, Finding Diana is about Aisha Cooker, a 28-year-old journalist who stumbled upon a collection of personal data belonging to millions of citizens, including a governor she is investigating. In her quest for a better society, Aisha exposes the official, a move that puts her life in danger.
Screened at various events and platforms, PIN’s short films have received extensive feedback from viewers who have cited the creativity, relevance, and impact they possess. The short films have also received multiple accolades and awards, with the latest being a Bronze recognition for Finding Diana at the 2023 Summit Creative Awards.
Ends….//
About Paradigm Initiative (PIN)
Paradigm Initiative (PIN) is a non-governmental organisation that connects under-served young Africans with digital opportunities and ensures the protection of their online rights. We have worked in communities across Nigeria since 2007 and across Africa since 2017, building experience, community trust, and an organisational culture that positions us as a leading organisation in ICT for Development and Digital Rights on the continent.
Across our regional offices in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and beyond, we have impacted youth with improved livelihoods through our digital inclusion and digital rights programs. Our programs include Life Skills. ICT. Financial Readiness. Entrepreneurship (LIFE) Training Programme, a digital readiness workshop for girls, and Life at Schools Club Programme.
PIN has also built online platforms that educate and serve as safe spaces for reporting digital rights violations. These mediums, in the form of reports, short films, and educational online platforms, include Ayeta and Ripoti.