The Digital Creator Africa Academy (DCAA) on the 15th of July announced a formal partnership with Video Rebirth, makers of the BACH AI engine, at the WIFT Africa, Global South Pavilion, Palais des Festivals, Cannes, in the presence of press, filmmakers, and international partners at the Marche du Film.
“The future of cinema is no longer confined to traditional studios, formats, or borders. It lives in the hands of creators who understand culture, technology, and audience behaviour simultaneously. DCAA exists to train those creators at scale. Partnering with Video Rebirth means African filmmakers now have direct access to world-class AI production infrastructure while telling stories rooted in our own identity, imagination, and cultural power.”
- Ifeoma ‘Oma Areh, Co-Founder, DCAA
Video Rebirth has selected DCAA as its first institutional partner in Africa, integrating the BACH AI engine into the curriculum of Africa’s first certified microdrama academy and awarding full AI filmmaking scholarships to 100 creators enrolled in DCAA’s AI Filmmaking stream. This scholarship makes professional AI filmmaking education fully accessible to African creators for the first time. Two BACH facilitators will be embedded in the cohort for the duration of the programme.
“Africa’s screen economy is not waiting for permission to lead in AI filmmaking. DCAA was built to ensure that when the world looks for where AI-native film culture took root, the answer is unambiguously African. This partnership places industrial-grade AI production tools directly in the hands of Africa’s most commercially ready creators, and that changes the shape of what African cinema can be.”
- Elijah Affi, Co-Founder, DCAA ·
Even ahead of this partnership, DCAA’s first cohort has already demonstrated its commercial readiness internationally. Graduates pitched and received 5 international commissions, with productions currently in active delivery, marking the first international commission won directly out of an African microdrama training programme. The DCAA x Video Rebirth partnership builds on this momentum, equipping the next generation of creators with the most advanced AI filmmaking tools available anywhere in the world.
Africa is home to some of the world’s most vibrant storytelling traditions, and we believe AI will be the catalyst that brings these stories to global audiences at a scale never before possible. This partnership with DCAA is not just about providing a tool, it’s about investing in the creative foundation for an entirely new generation of filmmakers. We see Africa as one of the most exciting frontiers for AI-powered filmmaking, and we intend to be the engine behind it.”
- Dr. Dan Kong, Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer, Video Rebirth
The DCAA x Video Rebirth partnership is one of several institutional collaborations DCAA is pursuing ahead of the Africa Creative Market flagship activation in Lusaka, Zambia, July 2026, where DCAA serves as programme partner and vertical screen industry convener.
About the Digital Creator Africa Academy for Microdrama (DCAA)
The Digital Creator Africa Academy (DCAA) is Africa’s first certified microdrama and vertical storytelling institution, building the continent’s next generation of commercially viable digital filmmakers, creators, and screen entrepreneurs. Co-founded by Ifeoma ‘Oma Areh and Elijah Affi, DCAA sits at the intersection of storytelling, technology, AI, and creator commerce, training African creatives for the future of mobile-first entertainment.
Officially partnered with Nigeria’s National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), DCAA is also convenor of VEX (The Vertical Exchange), Africa’s first vertical content market, and a programme partner of the Africa Creative Market. Through global partnerships, creator incubation, and industry-led training, DCAA is helping position Africa as a major force in the emerging global vertical entertainment economy. www.digitalcreatorafrica.academy
About Video Rebirth / BACH
Video Rebirth is a Singapore-headquartered AI video company developing the BACH series, industrial-grade AI video generation engines backed by AMD Ventures and Hyundai Motor Group, expanding globally ahead of full commercial launch. www.videorebirth.com
