The nominees of the 2008 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) were announced to a large gathering of African film industry representatives at a glitzy evening function at Moyo in Johannesburg on Wednesday 19 March.
The African Movie Academy Awards, which take place in Bayelsa State, Nigeria on 26 April 2008, were created to celebrate excellence in African film as well as set up supportive structures and networking opportunities for African filmmakers. In the four years of AMAA’s existence, the Awards have recognised filmmakers, actors, directors, producers, make-up artists and other film industry role players from around the African continent.
“When we first began AMAA, many regarded it as a Nigerian awards ceremony,” said Peace Anyiam-Fiberesima, co-founder and executive producer of the AMAA’s. “In the past three years, we’ve managed to increase entries from more African countries. This year’s entries were also quite encouraging in that respect – we are clearly on a growth spurt! However, there is still a long way to go – considering that we have more than 50 African nations. We’re not putting out nearly enough movies – we’re doing more about the politics of film rather than filmmaking, and it’s important for Africa to look at the financial rewards for filmmaking as there is no proper distribution process across the continent.
“Indeed the range and subject matter of the nominated films reflect the African experience in all its glory, pain and humour – collectively, the nominated movies are a real representation of the African story – submissions from Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, as well as films from the African diaspora such as Brazil and the United States all reflected the multiplicity of the African experience.”
South Africa’s strongest showings in 2008 was in the documentary section, a credit to the strong tradition of documentary filmmaking in South Africa.
The 2008 AMMA nominees are:
BEST INDIGENOUS FILM
Iranse Aje
Ipa
Hafsat
Onitemi
Tabou
BEST CHILD ACTOR
Evelyn (NINA) in Run Baby Run
Fidelis Abdulrahman (Little Melvin) in White Water
MOST OUSTANDING ACTRESS INDIGENOUS
Doris Simeon -ONITEM
Laide Bakare – IRANSE AJE
Fathia Balogun – IPA
Zainab Idris – HAFSAH
MOST OUTSTANDING ACTOR INDIGENOUS
AYO AKINWALE -IRANSE AJE
MUYIWA ADEMOLA -IRANSE AJE/IPA
ALI NUHU- HAFSAT
BEST LEAD ACTRESS
JACKIE APEA -PRINCESS TYRA
STELLA ABODERIN – WIDOW
KATE HENSHAW NUTTAL – STRONGER THAN PAIN
RAKIYA ATTAH – ACROSS THE NIGER
GENEVIEVE NNAJI – 30 DAYS/KEEP MY WILL
DORIS SIMEON – ONITEMI
BEST LEAD ACTOR
VAN VICKER – RETURN OF BEYONCE/PRINCESS TYRA
KANAYO KANAYO – ACROSS THE NIGER
NKEM OWOH – STRONGER THAN PAIN
SAINT OBI- CHECK POINT
OC UKEJE – WHITE WATER
KOFI BUCKNOR- RUN BABY RUN
BEST MALE SUPPORTING ACTOR
HOOMSUK – WHITE WATER
FRITZ BAFOUR – RETURN OF BEYONCE
EMEKA OSSAI – CHECK POINT
CHINWETALU AGU – ACROSS THE NIGER
OFIAFULUAGU MBAKA – NEW JERUSALEM
BEST FEMALE SUPPORTING ACTRESS
JOKE SILVA – WHITE WATER/30 DAYS
IRETU DOYLE – ACROSS THE NIGER
YHAMA BREW – PRINCESS TYRA
PATIENCE OZOKWO – NEW JERUSALEM
BIMBO AKINTOLA – CASH MONEY
UCHE JOMBO – KEEP MY WILL
BEST UPCOMING ACTRESS
UJU OKEKE – MISSION TO NO WHERE
JACKIE APIA – PRINCESS TYRA
YVONNE NELSON – PRINCESS TYRA
BEST UPCOMING ACTOR
OC UKEJE – WHITE WATER
MALEKE IDOWU – CHECK POINT
VAN VICKER – RETURN OF BEYONCE/ PRINCESS TYRA
HOODSUNK – WHITE WATER
KUNLE FAWOLE -CASH MONEY
KROSS IN – NEW JERUSALEM
BEST ART DIRECTION IN A FILM
NEW JERUSALEM
WHITE WATER
ACROSS THE NIGER
30 DAYS
IRANSE AJE
PRINCESS TYRA
BEST PICTURE
WHITE WATER
ACROSS THE NIGER
PRINCESS TYRA
MISSION TO NO WHERE
30 DAYS
RUN BABY RUN
BEST SCREEN PLAY
CHECKPOINT
WHITE WATER
MIRROR OF BEAUTY
ACROSS THE NIGER
MISSION TO NO WHERE
RUN BABY RUN
30 DAYS
THROUGH THE FIRE
BEST EDIT IN A FILM
RUN BABY RUN
DIVIZIONS OR DIVISION
CASH MONEY
ACROSS THE NIGER
30 DAYS
THROUGH THE FIRE
BEST EFFECT IN A FILM
NEW JERUSALEM
ACROSS THE NIGER
BEST MUSIC IN A FILM
WHITE WATER
HAFSAH
CASH MONEY
MIRROR OF BEAUTY
RUN BABY RUN
DIVIZIONZ
BEST DIRECTOR
EMMANUEL APEA – RUN BABY RUN
IZU OJUKWU – WHITE WATER
FRANK RAJAH ARASE – PRINCESS TYRA
IZU OJUKWU/KINGSLEY OGORO – ACROSS THE NIGER
BOND EMORUWA – CHECK POINT
TECO BENSON – MISSION TO NO WHERE
IFEANYI ONYEABOR – NEW JERUSALEM
MILDRED OKWO – 30 DAYS
BEST COSTUMES
PRINCESS TYRA
RIVALS
MIRROR OF Beauty
30 days
BEST SOUND
WHITE WATER
NEW JERUSALEM
MISSION TO NO WHERE
30 DAYS
MIRROR OF BEUATY
CASH MONEY
DIVIZIONS
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
30 DAYS
ACROSS THE NIGER
WHITE WATER
MISSION TO NO WHERE
CHECK POINT
NEW JERUSALEM
RUN BABY RUN
MIRROR OF BEAUTY
THROUGH THE FIRE
BEST MAKE UP
PRINCESS TYRA
ACROSS THE NIGER
NEW JERUSALEM
MIRROR OF BEAUTY
BEST FILM BY AFRICAN IN THE DIASPORA
THROUGH THE FIRE
BLEEDING ROSE
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC
DUN-DUN
BRIDGING THE GAP
A RARE GEM
FAMILIES UNDER ATTACK
BEST SHORT FILM
KINGSWILL
SKY LINE
