By Chuks Nwanne
As practitioners and stakeholder in the African motion picture industry prepare to jet into Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, for this year’s edition of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Nollywood nominees are set to do battle with their counterparts from other part of the continent in the 28 categories unveiled.
While speaking at the unveiling ceremony held recently at the Protea Hotel, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, Mr. Shaibu Husseini, the President of the Jury, who also doubles as the Chairman of the College of Screeners, reiterated in his address that AMAA is a jury based award and not a voting awards where nominees embark on voting campaigns to win any of the categories. And from the quality of works submitted this year, Nollywood is indeed up for another tough battle for continental honours.
The Jury, however, announced nominees into 26 categories, as the Board of Jurors is yet to conclude on the remaining two categories.
“The remaining categories are special Jury awards and before the awards ceremony, we would have decided on the nominees and eventual winners and by that time we would have the full Jury members on ground,” Husseini said.
He also revealed that quality of movies that came into the competition have improved greatly, adding that more young people across the continent are coming into the industry as filmmakers with over 150 short film entries.
“Our film makers only need to pay attention to details especially in the technical areas. We have the stories already especially filmmakers producing films in African languages. Truth is we can only compete at the Oscars with our indigenous language films and to do this we must improve on our photography, sound, editing and other technical areas. Our people need to improve on sub-titling of our films. What do as sub-titling are jokes and there is no way our films can travel within the international film festival circuits when the people can’t make sense of our films,” he said.
Meanwhile, films from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa and Burkina Faso are in hot chase for the AMAA glory in the acting departments and Best Director’s Category, with such films as Fifty, Dry, The Cursed One, Eye of the Storm, Ayanda, La Pagne, Tell me Sweet Something and Behind Closed Doors.
“We are very happy about the quality of works that came into the competition this year and it gladdens our heart that every year the objectives of the awards are being achieved with film makers in Africa and beyond upping their game,” added Husseini.
The Board of Jurors of AMAA, which members include academics, filmmakers, critics and Film Festival curators from Nigeria, Germany, United States, Zimbabwe, Jamaica and Burkina Faso will decide on which film and individual talents that will emerge eventual winners at a glamorous Awards Night which will take place on Saturday June 11 in Port Harcourt.
Beyond Blood, Dry, Fifty, Missing God, O’Town and Falling have all been nominated for Best Nigerian Film endowed by the Rivers State Government, while Joseph Otsiman – The Cursed One, Uti Nwachukwu – Breathless, Abidine Dioari – Eye of the Storm, Odunlade Adekola – Taxi Driver, Kenneth Nkosi – Ayanda and Thomas Gumede- Tell Me Sweet Something have been nominated for Best Actor In A Supporting Role. For Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Thishiwe Ziqubu – Tell me Sweet Something, Maureen Okpoko – Missing God, Ijeoma Grace Agu – Jimi Bendel/ Taxi Driver, Bontte Modiselle – Hear Me Move, Nthati Moshesh – Ayanda and Linda Ejiofor- Out of Luck will slug it out.
For Best Actor In A Leading Role, Oris Erhuero – The Cursed One, OC Ukeje – Ayanda, Fragass Assande – Eye of the Storm, Masego ‘Maps’ Maponyane – Tell me Sweet Something, Daniel k. Daniel – Soldiers Story and Biuferi Yakoubi – La Pagne were nominated, while Zineb Odeib – Behind Closed Doors, Adesua Etomi- Falling, Fulu Mugovhani – Ayanda, Maimouna N’Daiye – Eye of the Storm, Iretiola Doyle, Dakore Egbuson, Nse Ikpe Etim, Omoni Oboli – Fifty and
6. Nomzamo Mbatha – Tell me Sweet Something were nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Best Director Category has Nana Obiri-Yeboah- The Cursed One, Biyi Bandele- Fifty, Sekou Toure- Eye of the Storm, Sara Blecher- Ayanda, Moussa Hamadou Djingarey- La Pagne, Stephanie Linus – Dry, Akin Omotoso – Tell me Sweet Something, and Mohammed Ahed Bensouda – Behind Closed Doors, while nominees For Best Film are The Cursed One – Ghana, Fifty – Nigeria, Eye of the Storm – Burkina Faso, Ayanda – South Africa, La Pagne- Niger, Dry – Nigeria, Tell me Sweet Something- South Africa and Behind Closed Doors- Morocco.
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