Registration is now closed.

As African audiences have shown a very strong interest in short programmes, CFI, French operator in media cooperation, and CANAL+, a partner in the creation of original African content, are launching the MDR ! project in order to identify the African stars of tomorrow and help them to develop, through the creation of a range of new short comedy programmes over the next few years.

A call for applications to find the best African talent

MDR ! is aimed at finding and supporting young writers, scriptwriters, directors and comedians from French-speaking parts of Africa by enabling them to express their humour in a modern, original and dynamic format targeting young audiences across the continent. The call for MDR ! applications, launched on 26 October and scheduled to close on 30 November 2015, will bring together the most promising talents in French-speaking Africa.
The authors of the 12 best projects will be invited to a training session held by CFI in January 2016, which will help them to hone their skills in writing and directing audiovisual comedy fiction series.

Funding for 8 pilots, with the best to be broadcast by CANAL+ in Africa

Starting in 2016, CANAL+ will launch a new series of short comedy programmes in Africa, which will epitomise the channel's spirit and values. In this context, CANAL+ will finance the production of 8 pilots selected from the 12 projects developed during the training session.
Each of the 8 comedy pilots produced under the MDR ! initiative will last from 4 to 6 minutes, with the best to be broadcast on the CANAL+ channel.

By supporting and funding the production of comedy pilots and giving talented young Africans the resources they need to broaden their experience, CFI and CANAL+ are continuing to show their commitment to African entertainment and the creation of original content.