Movie stars, enthusiasts and fans are waiting with bated breath as the winners of the 17th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) would be announced tomorrow in Lagos.
Daily Trust reports that only 30 movies made it to the final from the 500 movies that were submitted for the prestigious award.
Awards would be given out in 26 categories. The film Gravedigger’s Wife from Somalia received the most nominations with 10. It has nominations in categories such as the award for best film in African Language, the award for best actor in a leading role and best director.
Movies like Nyara (Tanzania) Omo Ghetto: The Saga (Nigeria), Eyimofe (Nigeria), African American (South Africa) and Ayinla (Nigeria) also received multiple nominations.
Ayinla, directed by top director, Tunde Kelani, is a musical eponymous film based on the life of Ayinla Yusuf popularly known as Ayinla Omowura, an Apala musician who was stabbed to death by his manager named Bayewu in a bar fight on May 6, 1980 at Abeokuta.
Omo Ghetto: The Saga also known as Omo Ghetto 2[2] is a 2020 Nigerian gangster comedy film co-directed by Funke Akindele and her husband, Kano-born Abdulrasheed Bello (JJC Skillz).
Nigerian actress and Big Brother Naija star, Oluwabamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan (Bam-Bam) was nominated in “Best Young/Promising Actor” for her role in the movie Collision Course.
The nominations for AMAA 2021 were announced by the Head of Jury, Hon Steve Ayorinde.
The former Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture in Lagos State noted that the 2021 list of Nominees reflects the brilliance of filmmakers across the continent.
“The criteria have always been standard, making a good film, speaking the language of cinema, high production value, good stories, high-level performance. There is no Nigerian type of acting, there is no West African type of filmmaking, it’s about having something that Africa can be proud of and that has always been the style of AMAA,” Ayorinde noted
The founder of the Africa Film Academy and organiser of the movie award, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, said the Academy has helped the film industry in Africa.
“It helps to get distribution, recognition at other films festivals. When a film went to AMAA, it opens a lot of avenues for the filmmaker to be able to go forward and do bigger projects.
“One of the things people need to realize is that almost every single person in the jury works with film festivals across the world. So, there is a representative of every one of them on AMAA jury,” she added.
The AMAA 2021 Gala and award is scheduled to hold at the Marriot Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos and will be televised live in more than 40 countries across Africa and other countries worldwide.
The awards which started in 2005 is regarded as the biggest gathering of filmmakers and other creatives in Africa.
List of the AMAA 2021 Nominations:
EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
Meat – Uganda, Enroute – Bourkina Fasso, A Better Friend – Ghana, Find Me By The River – South Africa, In Extremis – DRC, Portrait of Princess Tutu – Cote d’Ivoire; and The Long Night In Abuja – Nigeria.
JUBRIL MALAFIA AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION
Room 5 – Ghana, Shaka-Inklosi Yamakhosi – South Africa, The Pyramid – Egypt, Mofiala – Togo, Lady Buckit & the Motley Mopster – Nigeria, A Thousand Fate – Uganda and White Nights – Algeria
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
Softie – Kenya, The Sacred Woods – Tunisia, Postcard – Morocco, Unmasked: Leadership, Trust & the Pandemic – Nigeria, Linda Under Lockdown – South Africa, Bulembu: History of a Culture – DRC, Noboth – Uganda and Zindet – Niger
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT FILM
Three Leaves (Haiti), In Other News (Canada), Blue (US), The Berne Identity (Switzerland), No Comprendo (UK)
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY
Akwaaba – The Awakening (US), African Redemption: the Life of Marcus Garvey (US), Race Today Documentary (UK)
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA NARRATIVE FEATURE
Ride Share (US), Hal King (US), Residue (US)
MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD
Blackmail – Obi Emelonye (Nigeria/UK), First Call – Angela Onuora (Nigeria/Canada), K.I.A.B – Eric Zoa & Oleksii Osyka (Cameroon/USA), Gone – Daniel Ademinokan (Nigeria/US)
OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE
Bangarang – Robin Odongo (Kenya), Ayinla – Tunde Kelani (Nigeria), The Golddigger’s Wife – Khadar Ahmed (Somalia), Hotel on the Koppies – Charlie Vundler (South Africa), Nyara – Ram Ally Kasongo (Tanzania), Stain – Morris Mugisha (Uganda)
AMAA 2021 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
African American, Buried, Oba Bi Olorun, Tecora, Eagles Win
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP
Fried Barry, Tecora, The Gravedigger’s Wife, The Takers, Mission to Rescue
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT
Nneka The Pretty Serpent, Stain, Fried Barry, The Takers, Mission to Rescue
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK
The Citation, Nyara (The Kidnapper), The Gravedigger’s Wife, This Lady Called Life, Hotel on the Koppies
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
Hairareb, African American, The Gravedigger’s Wife, Eyimofe, La Femme Anjola
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
Tecora, The Takers, Nyara (The Kidnapping), The Gravedigger’s Wife, Shadow Parties
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ayinla, Black Medusa, Stain, Nyara (The Kidnapping), The Gravedigger’s Wife
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
Mission to Rescue, Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Nyala (The Kidnapping), Fried Barry, Eyimofe
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREEN PLAY
Chasing Lullaby, Where I Come From, Stain, Collission Course, Hairareb
AMAA 2021- NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO CENSORS BOARD (NFVCB) AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM
Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story, Ayinla, Eyimofe, The Citation, Omo Ghetto: The Saga, La Femme Anjola, Collission Course, Shadow Parties
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG/ PROMISING ACTOR
Wilmah Muremera – Shaina, Oluwabamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan – Collission Course, Faith Fidel – Where I Come From, David Weda – Bangarang, Bertha Abdallah – Nyara (The Kidnapping), Hannah Sukali – Fatsani: A Tale of Survival
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Mulshid Mugabire – Monica,Kelechi Udegbe – Collission Course, Mehdi Hajri – Black Medusa, Cameron Scott – Hotel on the Koppies, Bimbo Manuel – Gone
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Gloria Anozie-Young – Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story, Naana Hayford – Chasing Lullaby, Tumi Morake – Seriously Single, Hazel Hinda – Hairareb, Ini Edo – The Citation
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Gary Green – Fried Barry, Lateef Adedimeji – Ayinla, Melvin Alusa – Mission To Rescue, Jude Akuwudike – Eyimofe, Omar Abdi – The Gravedigger’s Wife, David Njavera – Hairareb, Nonso Bassey – La Femme Anjola
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Lucie Memba Bois – Buried, Funke Akindele – Omo Ghetto: The Saga, Sarah Alina Grosz – Black Medusa, Joan Agaba – Stain, Phumi Mthembu – African American, Rita Dominic – La Femme Anjola, Claudine de Groot – Hairareb
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM BY A DIRECTOR
Shaina – Beatrice Masvaure Alf (Zimbabwe), African American – Muzi Mthembu (South Africa), Eyimofe – Chuko & Ayie Esiri (Nigeria), The Gravedigger’s Wife – Khadar Ahmed (Somalia) * Black Medusa – Youssef Chebbi & Ismael (Tunisia), Fried Barry – Ryan Kruger (South Africa)
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Gilbert Lukalia – (Mission To Rescue), Ryan Kruger – (Fried Barry), Khadar Ahmed – (The Gravedigger’s Wife), Morris Mugisha – (Stain), Chuko & Ayie Esiri – (Eyimofe), Oshoveli Shipoh – (Hairareb), Ram Ally Kasongo – (Nyara/The Kidnapping), Youssef Chebbi & Ismael – (Black Medusa)
AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST FILM
Mission To Rescue (Kenya), Fried Barry (South Africa), The Gravedigger’s Wife (Somalia), Stain (Uganda), Eyimofe (Nigeria), Hairareb (Namibia), Nyara:The Kidnapping (Tanzania), Black Medusa (Tunisia)
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