By Benjamin Njoku
Despite losing two of the major awards of the night, Best Movie of the Year and Best Director awards to Burkina Faso and Ghana, Nigeria’s Nollywood weekend reaffirmed its solid place as Africa’s biggest film industry at this year’s African Movie Academy Awards,AMAA.
The country carted away 10 out of the 24 awards given out this year, beating South Africa, which won five awards and fast evolving Burkina Faso film industry also won four awards. Ghana came fourth, clinching three awards; Best Director award, won by Nana Obiri-Tenoah for his film, “The Cursed One,”Best Cinematography and Best in Production Design in Africa
The glamorous awards night held, weekend at Dr Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The films that made the country proud at the awards night were Stephanie Linus-Okereke’s advocacy film, ” Dry” which won two awards, Rivers State Government award for Best Nigerian film and Zubaidat Ibrahim Fagge(Best Young/ Promising Actor award) for her role in “Dry”, Best First Feature Film by a Director, which went to Greg Odutayo for his film, “Beyond Blood.” Also, rising actor and model, Daniel Kanayo Daniel, who is best known for his portrayal of the heroic yet antagonistic Oviawe in the Amstel Malta Box office, won the award for Best Actor in a leading role for his performance in the movie, ” Soldiers Story, while Mo Abu’s Fifty won the Best Achievement in Sound Track.
The categories won by South Africa were Best Actress award, which was won by Fulu Mugovhami for he role in “Ayanda”, Best Actress in a supporting role(Thishiwe Ziqubu) for her role in , “Tell me Sweet Something”, Best Achievement in Editing Best Achievement in screen.
The event, which many described as another great outing for Nollywood and indeed, the African continent, also honoured veteran actor, Olu Jacobs and his wife, Joke Silva, Richard Mofe Damijo and star of the now rested New Masquerade, Tony Akposhore a.k.a Zakky, with AMAA Lifetime Achievement Awards for their immense contributions to the growth of the African film industry.
Speaking at the event, Governor Nyesome Wike of Rivers State, who was accompanied to the awards by his wife and several top government officials said that his government decided to host this year’s AMAA as a way of showcasing not only the tourism potentials of the state but also, to use the platform to tell the story of the state to the rest of the world.
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