Ghana’s Gamel Apalayine selected for Authentic Screenwriting Lab
Ghanaian filmmaker and screenwriter Gamel Apalayine has been selected as one of four African writers for the prestigious AuthenticA Series Lab, a leading programme dedicated to nurturing the next generation of African screenwriting talent.
Run by the Realness Institute in partnership with The StoryBoard Collective and the Canada Media Fund, the six-month initiative will spotlight voices from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt.
The lab begins with a residency in South Africa’s Western Cape this September, followed by online sessions until mid-December.
Participants will then move to Geneva, Switzerland, from January to March 2026, before concluding in Lille, France, where they will pitch their projects at the African Series Pitch during the renowned Series Mania Forum.
Apalayine is already well established in the industry. He served as Head Writer for Akwaaba Magic’s hit TV drama DEDE, which ran for two seasons and 560 episodes, and was a principal writer for Ghana’s first Showmax Original series, ENO, produced by Sparrow Studios.
He also co-adapted Honeymoon Hotel, staged at the National Theatre of Ghana, and through his company, Whistling Rocks, is developing a diverse portfolio across film, theatre, television and music.
Looking ahead, Apalayine will begin an MFA in Film at Columbia University’s School of the Arts in New York City in 2026, cementing his place at the crossroads of African storytelling and global cinema.
The AuthenticA Series Lab will equip participants with the tools to produce industry-standard pitch decks, pilot scripts and series bibles capable of attracting global funding and production opportunities.
The programme will be led by Mehret Mandefro, interim managing director of the Realness Institute, alongside director of writing programmes Selina Ukwuoma, story expert Mmabatho Kau and creative producer Thandeka Zwana.
