ZAMBIA, THIS IS OUR MOMENT: Zambian Filmmakers Invited to Pitch for CANAL+ Drama Commissioning Opportunity
A New Door Has Opened for Zambian Producers, and the Industry Must Walk Through It
By National Association of Media Arts, NAMA
A new opportunity has opened for African filmmakers, and Zambia's film industry should be paying very close attention.
MultiChoice Group, a CANAL+ company, in partnership with FAME Week Africa, has launched an exclusive Drama Commissioning Call for Projects, inviting producers from across Africa to submit original drama series concepts for consideration.
For Zambia, this is more than another international pitching opportunity.
It could be the beginning of a new chapter in Zambian television and film commissioning.
The call is specifically looking for original African drama series that can connect with local audiences while having the potential to travel across borders and reach audiences around the world.
That is exactly where Zambian storytellers need to position themselves.
The door is open. Are Zambian producers ready?
MultiChoice Group is looking for contemporary, high concept drama series that are commercially appealing, action driven and rooted in authentic African stories.
The brief calls for stories with:
Strong characters.
Universal themes.
Aspirational storytelling.
Commercial appeal.
Authentic African settings and experiences.
The potential to connect audiences across two or more African territories.
Projects can be created in any African language, English or French, provided the cultural authenticity of the story remains intact.
The proposed commissioned series are expected to consist of approximately 8 to 12 episodes of 50 minutes each, although the final episode count will depend on the creative concept.
For Zambian producers, this should immediately trigger an important question:
What Zambian story can we tell that Zambia will love, Africa will understand and the world will want to watch?
That is the challenge.
And it is also the opportunity.
Zambia has the stories
Zambia does not suffer from a shortage of stories.
We have stories about family, ambition, love, politics, business, tradition, migration, mining, music, faith, relationships, youth, crime, entrepreneurship, rural life, urban life and the changing African identity.
We have incredible landscapes.
We have diverse cultures.
We have talented writers.
We have actors.
We have directors.
We have cinematographers.
We have production designers.
We have editors.
We have sound professionals.
We have producers who have demonstrated that they can create compelling content under extremely difficult circumstances.
What we need now is to package that creativity into commercially viable projects that commissioning platforms can invest in.
This commissioning call provides precisely that opportunity.
Do not wait for someone to come looking for you
For many years, African filmmakers have asked an important question:
"When will international platforms start commissioning more African stories?"
The answer is increasingly clear.
They are looking.
The bigger question is whether African producers are presenting projects that fit the needs of those platforms.
The MultiChoice Group Premium Drama Call for Projects is particularly significant because this is not simply a general film pitch competition.
It is a commissioning opportunity built around a clearly defined content brief.
Producers are being told what the broadcaster is looking for.
This gives filmmakers something extremely valuable.
Clarity.
Instead of guessing what a commissioning executive might want, producers can develop and present concepts that respond directly to the brief.
Zambian producers should pitch
The National Association of Media Arts, NAMA, is therefore encouraging Zambian producers to take this opportunity seriously.
Do not assume that your project is too small.
Do not assume that your story is not international enough.
Do not assume that only producers from South Africa, Nigeria or Kenya will be considered.
And most importantly, do not disqualify yourself before the commissioning panel does.
If you have a strong concept, develop it.
If you have an existing project that fits the brief, revisit it.
If you have a story that can connect with audiences beyond Zambia, package it professionally.
Then submit.
What are they asking for?
The submission requirements are relatively straightforward.
Producers are required to submit:
A creative treatment in PDF format
An estimated production budget
The creative treatment should include:
Series overview
Logline
Synopsis
World of the story
Style and tone references
Character overviews
These are not merely administrative requirements.
They are the tools through which producers demonstrate that their idea is more than an interesting story.
A commissioning executive needs to see the world, characters, audience, commercial potential and production possibilities of the proposed series.
Your treatment must therefore make the reader want to see the programme.
Think beyond Zambia
One of the most important aspects of the commissioning brief is its emphasis on stories that can naturally connect audiences across two or more African territories.
This does not mean Zambian producers should abandon Zambian stories.
Quite the opposite.
It means we should become better at identifying the universal element within the Zambian story.
A story about a Zambian family can speak to a Nigerian family.
A story about ambition can resonate with audiences in Kenya.
A story about love can cross borders.
A story about corruption, friendship, betrayal, entrepreneurship, identity or survival can find audiences across the continent.
The key is to tell the story authentically while understanding what makes it emotionally universal.
This is where Zambian creativity can stand out
Zambia has something that should never be underestimated.
Authenticity.
Our stories do not need to imitate South African, Nigerian or American television.
We need to tell stories that could only have come from Zambia, while producing them at a standard that allows audiences everywhere to connect with them.
Our accents.
Our languages.
Our locations.
Our humour.
Our traditions.
Our contemporary lifestyles.
Our challenges.
Our aspirations.
These are not weaknesses.
They are our creative assets.
The international market is increasingly interested in distinctive African stories.
Zambia must be confident enough to put its own stories on the table.
The opportunity comes at an important time
This commissioning call comes at a particularly interesting moment for Zambia's film industry.
There is growing conversation around strengthening the relationship between DStv Zambia, Zambian producers and the wider creative industry, including exploring more opportunities for local production and commissioning.
At the same time, the broader MultiChoice business is now part of the CANAL+ Group, creating an even larger international ecosystem through which African content can potentially travel.
That makes this opportunity worth pursuing.
A successful Zambian project could demonstrate that our producers are capable of developing content that is not only locally relevant but commercially attractive across the continent.
And one successful commission can change perceptions.
We need to start thinking like a commissioning industry
For Zambia to secure more commissions, however, filmmakers must also understand that having a good story is only the beginning.
We must develop the ability to present projects professionally.
Producers need to understand:
Development.
Budgeting.
Packaging.
Audience positioning.
Production planning.
Rights and intellectual property.
Commercial viability.
Distribution.
Commissioning models.
This is how Zambia moves from simply producing content to becoming a competitive content production market.
A commission can create an entire ecosystem
The value of a major drama commission goes far beyond the producer who receives the contract.
A commissioned series can create opportunities for:
Writers
Directors
Actors
Cinematographers
Editors
Sound designers
Production designers
Costume designers
Makeup artists
Location managers
Production assistants
Equipment suppliers
Transport providers
Catering companies
Post production facilities
And many other creative and technical professionals.
This is why Zambian producers should not see the opportunity as an individual competition.
It is an opportunity for the entire industry.
Every successful Zambian production helps demonstrate that our country has the capacity to deliver.
NAMA's message to Zambian filmmakers
The National Association of Media Arts is encouraging producers across Zambia to seriously consider submitting their projects.
This is not the time to sit back and wait for commissioning opportunities to come directly to Zambia.
We need to take our stories to the commissioning rooms.
We need to put Zambian projects in front of decision makers.
We need to demonstrate the quality of our producers.
We need to demonstrate the strength of our writers.
We need to demonstrate the commercial potential of Zambian stories.
And we need to make it increasingly difficult for international commissioners to talk about African content without talking about Zambia.
Your story could be the one
Perhaps there is a producer in Lusaka with a brilliant family drama.
Perhaps there is a filmmaker in Kitwe developing a story inspired by the Copperbelt.
Perhaps a writer in Livingstone has created a powerful series rooted in tourism, culture and human relationships.
Perhaps a producer in Ndola has a commercial drama that has never found the right platform.
Perhaps somewhere in Zambia there is a story that nobody has seen yet.
This could be the opportunity to put it in front of the right people.
Do not wait until someone tells you that Zambia needs more content.
Start showing the industry what Zambia can produce.
The deadline is 18 September 2026
Submissions for the MultiChoice Group Premium Drama Call for Projects are now open and close on 18 September 2026.
Shortlisted producers will have the opportunity to present their projects directly to a commissioning panel involving MultiChoice Group, CANAL+ and StudioCanal.
That is a significant opportunity.
And it deserves a serious response from Zambia.
Producers who have previously submitted projects to the FAME Week Africa Project Pitch Platform are also encouraged to submit again if their projects align with this specific commissioning brief.
Let us put Zambia on the commissioning map
The future of Zambia's film industry will not be built only through conversations about what platforms should do for local filmmakers.
It will also be built by demonstrating what Zambian filmmakers can do for platforms.
This is our opportunity to show that Zambia can develop strong, commercially viable, culturally authentic drama that can travel across Africa and beyond.
So, to every Zambian producer sitting on a concept, a treatment, a pilot, a story bible or an idea that has never found a home:
Now is the time to develop it.
Now is the time to package it.
Now is the time to pitch it.
The door has opened.
Zambia must walk through it.
And perhaps, among the many submissions arriving from across Africa, the next major African drama commission could carry a Zambian name.
Let us make sure Zambia is in the room.
ABOUT FAME WEEK AFRICA
FAME Week Africa is a leading business to business market connecting film, television, digital content, music and creative industry professionals from across Africa and the world.
The 2026 edition will take place from 28 to 30 October 2026 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, CTICC2, bringing together broadcasters, streamers, producers, distributors, investors and creators.
For Zambian filmmakers, this represents an important platform for networking, pitching, partnerships and access to international decision makers.
A CALL TO THE ZAMBIAN FILM INDUSTRY
Producers, dust off those concepts.
Writers, refine those stories.
Directors, start thinking about the world you want to create.
Production companies, prepare your packages.
The opportunity is on the table.
Now Zambia must respond.
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