Motion picture practitioners from Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana are leading the pack in the race to win the coveted prizes at the 2014 edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards 2014 scheduled to take place at the oil-rich state of Bayelsa in Nigeria in the next couple of weeks.
The nominations into the 27 categories of the awards were announced by the AMAA Jurors at a well-attended gala night which took place at the Emperor Palace Hotel, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Celebrities from Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia and South Africa were in attendance including representatives of the government of South Africa and Namibia while the delegation from Malawi was led by the daughter of President Joyce Banda, Edith Akridge. Some of the celebrities that graced the occasion included Ramsey Nouah, Funso Adeolu, Fathia Balogun, Fred Amata, Paul Obazele, Segun Arinze, Fidelis Duker, Lydia Forson from Ghana among others.
South African films such as Of Good Report and The Forgotten Kingdom made good showing while Nigeria’s Apaye, Omo Elemosho, Accident, A Mile from Home and Lagos Cougars placed the most populous black nation in the world in a strong position. Ghana’s Brother’s Keeper, Potomanto and Northern Affairs showed the West African country as a power house in business of film making. Other countries that had good nominations are Kenya, Mali, Cameroun, Mauritius, Malawi and the Diaspora Africans from Trinidad & Tobago, Algeria, among the 48 countries where entries came from.
Speaking at the gala night, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, Chief Executive Officer of AMAA enjoined film makers in the continent to unite and promote the best in Africa through their works. She charged Nigerian and South African governments as two giants in Africa to forge better economic and cultural co-operation.
“Our leaders should invest in our future and creative energy of the young people, be it in music, film, fashion and other areas through appropriate funding and regulatory framework that will the creative industry viable just as the governments in India and United States did for their creative entrepreneurs.’’
Ebizi Brown, Director General of Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency whose state is hosting the event called on film makers in Africa and beyond to come and shoot their movies in Bayelsa adding that the state is ready to host a great 10th anniversary edition of AMAA. She said:
“We have beautiful and exotic locations that are good for shooting of your films. Come and experience Bayelsa and we have incentives and talents that will make your work very smooth. We have stayed with AMAA in the last 10 years and we will continue as a state.”
The AMAA Jury will not give award in the category FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD due to quality of films received in the category which the Jurors possibly find inadequate.
The main award where winners will be announced will come up in Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Check out the nominations below:
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Film
Children of Troumaron – Mauritius
Potomanto – Ghana
The Forgotten Kingdom – South Africa
Of Good Report – South Africa
Accident – Nigeria
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Director
Harrikrishna & Sharvan Anenden – Children of Troumaron (Mauritius)
Shirley Frimpong Manso – Potomanto (Ghana)
Andrew Mudge – The Forgotten Kingdom (South Africa)
Jamil X.T Quebeka – Of Good Report (South Africa)
Teco Benson – Accident (Nigeria)
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Zengo Ngqobe – Forgotten Kingdom
Kanayo O. Kanayo – Apaye
Mothusi Magano – Of Good Report
Joseph Benjamin – Murder At Prime Suites
Adjatey Annan – Potomanto
Majid Michel – Brothers Keeper
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Uche Nnadili – B for Boy
Linda Sokhulu – Felix
Chioma Chukwuka Akpotha – Accident
Clarion Chukwura – Apaye
Uche Jombo, Rodriquez, Monalisa Chinda and Daniella Okeke – Lagos Cougar
Joselyn Dumas – Northern Affair
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Desmond Elliot – Finding Mercy
Thapelo Mofekeng – Felix
Yomi Fash-Lanso – Omo Elemosho
Aniekan Iyoho – Potomanto
Tshamano Sebe – Of Good Report
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Vinaya Sungkur – The Children of Troumaron
Patience Ozokwor – After the Proposal
Marie Humbert – Potomanto
Barbara Soky – Brothers Keeper
Lee-Ann van Rooi – Of Good Report
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Young/Promising Actor
Evelyn Galle Ansah – Good Old Days: For the Love of AA
Petronella Tshuma – Of Good Report
Tope Tedela – A Mile From Home
Kitty Phillips – The Children of Troumatron
Shawn Faqua – Lagos Cougar
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Child Actor
Tobe Oboli – Brothers Keeper
Lebohang Ntsane – Forgotten Kingdom
Hlayani Junior Mabasa – Felix
AMAA 2014 Award for Best First Feature Film by a Director
Roberta Durrant – Felix
Chika Anadu – B for Boy
Andrew Mudge – Forgotten Kingdom
Harrikrishna & Sharvan Anenden – The Children of Troumaron
Dilman Dila – Felista’s Fable
Joyce Mhango Chavula – No More Tears
AMAA 2014- Bayelsa State Government Endowed Award for Best Nigerian Film
Apaye
B For Boy
Accident
Murder at Prime Suites
Omo Elemosho
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Diaspora Feature Film
Tula The Revolt – Curacao
AZU – Venezuela
Kingston Paradise – Jamaica
Retrieval – USA
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Diaspora Documentary
Finding Samuel Lowe: From Harlem to China – USA/CANADA
Freedom Summer – USA
No Bois Man, No Frad – Trinidad and Tobago
Through the Lens Darkly : Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People – USA
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Film in An African Language
The forgotten Kingdom – South Africa
B for Boy – Nigeria
Omo Elemosho – Nigeria
Onye Ozi – Nigeria
Ni Sisi – Kenya
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Film by An African Living Abroad
Jury has decided that there will be no nominations this year for this category.
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Documentary
Hamu Beya- The Sand Fishers – Mali
Potraits of a Lone Farmer – Nigeria/Denmark
Kushaya Ingagasi – South Africa
Daughters of the Niger Delta – Nigeria
Sincerely Ethiopia – Ethiopia
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Diaspora Short Film
Passage – Bahamas
Heaven – USA
Tickle Me Rich – Trinidad and Tobago
Red – USA
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Short Film
Haunted Soul – Kenya
Siriya Mtungi – Tanzania
Dialemi – Gabon
New Horizon – Nigeria
Nandy l’orpheline – Mali
Living Funeral – Nigeria
Phindile’s Heart – South Africa
AMAA 2014 Award for Best Animation
The Hare and the Lion – Burkina Faso
Thank God its Friday – Morocco
Leila – Nigeria
Khumba – South Africa
The Brats and Toy Thief – Mozambique
AMAA 2014 Award for Achievement in a Screenplay
B For Boy
Of Good Report
Accident
Potomanto
Felix
AMAA 2014 Award for Achievement in Editing
Of Good Report
Accident
Once Upon A Road Trip
Potomanto
Felix
AMAA 2014 Award for Achievement in Cinematography
Once Upon A Road Trip
Good Old Days: Love of AA
Of Good Report
The Forgotten Kingdom
The Children of Troumaron
AMAA 2014 Award for Achievement in Sound
Felix
Northern Affair
Nothing For Mahala
Of Good Report
The Forgotten Kingdom
AMAA 2014 Award for Achievement in Visual Effect
A Mile From Home
Omo Elemosho- Nigeria
Secret Room -
Ni Sisi- Kenya
Of Good Report- South Africa
AMAA 2014 Award for Achievement in Soundtrack
Once Upon A Road Trip
Onye Ozi – Nigeria
Felix
Of Good Report- South Africa
Potomanto – Ghana
AMAA 2014 Award for Achievement in Make-up
A Mile From Home – Nigeria
Apaye – Nigeria
Once Upon A Road Trip – South Africa
Felista Fable – Uganda
Potomanto – Ghana
AMAA 2014 Award for Achievement in Costume Design
Good Old Days: Love of AA – Ghana
Apaye – Nigeria
Omo Elemosho – Nigeria
Ni Sisi – Kenya
The Forgotten Kingdom – South Africa
AMAA 2014 Award for Achievement in Production Design
Northern Affair – Ghana
Of Good Report – South Africa
Ni Sisi – Kenya
Good Old Days: Love of AA – Ghana
Apaye – Nigeria