Africa Movie Academy Awards 2009 Nomination Line-up Announced

By Ogova Ondego
Published March 13, 2009

The Nigeria-based Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) has released the line-up of nominated films to the awards ceremony that holds in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, on April 4, 2009. The director of the Best overall film is expected to win 50,000 Euros to be used for producing the next film. OGOVA ONDEGO reports.

The AMAA 2009 nomination line-up was announced on March 3, 2009 during the 21st Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) by AMAA CEO, Peace Anyiam-Fiberesima.

Kenya’s young and promising screen writer and director, Wanuri Kahiu, appears to be ahead of the pack with 11 nominations out of the 24 categories being awarded. In all, Kenyans have 15 nominations.

Four productions by Lola Kenya Children’s Screen”Little Knowledge is Dangerous (2007), Manani Ogres (2007) and Cheprono (2008) and Santos the Survivor (2008)”are nominated for Best Animation and Best Short Documentary prizes.

Other Kenyan films include Judy Kibinge’s Killer Necklace (Best Short Feature) and Coming of Age (Best Short Documentary), and James Kanja’s Pamela (Best Short Feature).

RELATED: Kenya Shines at the 5th Africa Movie Academy Awards

Though the artistry of Kenyan films appears to be a notch above the competition, to walk away with the trophies will not be so easy. To start with Lola Kenya Screen animations beat 50 other films from 12 African nations to the Grand prize during the 5th World Summit on Media for Children in South Africa in 2007. Two of the countries beaten were Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe. The battle was fought again in Nairobi during the second Kids for Kids Africa Festival and Lola Kenya Screen easily won. Now, for the third time, the rivalry appears to have been rekindled as three Lola Kenya Screen films face off with two from Burkina Faso for the Best Animation perch. The fate of the winner now lies with the adult jury unlike in South Africa and Kenya where the children’s juries gave the cake to Kenya. Zimbabwe is seeking to edge Kenya out in the Best Short Film category. Here, James Kanja’s Pamela and Kibinge’s Killer Necklace shall seek to stamp their superiority on the African short film genre.

Kahiu’s From a Whisper is likely to win big if merit alone is the sole determinant of the outcome but the competition from The Battle of the Souls, a Ugandan film modelled on the Nigerian formula, is unlikely to go down without scratching and clawing back. It has nine nominations.

RELATED: Africa Movie Academy Awards 2009 Nomination Line-up Announced

Other strong contenders for the throne include Seventh Heaven of Egypt, Gugu and Andile of South Africa, Arugba of Nigeria and Mah Saah Sa of Cameroun. In fact, one does well not to dismiss Mah Saah Sa as it just won the 7500 Euro CineToile (an African mobile cinema network bringing together Burkina Faso’s Cinema Numerique Ambulant, CNA; Congo Kinshasa’s Studio Malembe Maa; Kenya’s Lola Kenya Screen; Mali’s Cinema Numerique Ambulant ,CNA; South Africa’s Red Flag; Tanzania’s Zanzibar International Film Festival; Uganda’s Amakula Kampala International Film Festival; and Zimbabwe’s International Video Fair Trust and supported by Africalia of Belgium, the Belgian Development Cooperation and the European Union) prize at the 21st FESPACO on March 6, 2009.

Though Nigerian directors submitted more films than anyone else, theirs appeared to be ‘commercial’ productions with little regard to the creative process. AMAA organisers appear to have recognised this and perhaps this could explain why they have created “Heart of Africa Award for Best Films from Nigeria”, a special category for ‘Nigerian Only’.

One may wonder why short films could not be considered for prizes such as Achievement in Sound, Achievement in Editing, Directing, Cinematography, Costume/ Make-Up, Visual Effects, or for Original Soundtrack, Most Promising Actor/Actress, Best Performance by a Child Actor/Actress, Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Leading Role, Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Film in an African Language, or Best Screen Play. Are these films TOO Short for the judges to understand them?  It is not necessarily true that a 120-minute film is harder to make than a 12- or 2-minute one. Thus it would be encouraging if shorts were to be looked at not merely in terms of Short Feature and Short Documentary. Like full length features, shorts need to be dissected and appreciated for what they are. But when all is said and done, AMAA organisers appear to be quite brave in accepting films made by not just amateurs but children. Most competitions and festivals shun works by children if they cannot soft soap or create special spheres (call them ghettos) for children; but not AMAA.

RELATED: Killer Necklace Wins the Hearts of Many at 31st Lola Kenya Screen Film Forum

It is the hope of everyone that artistry(not regional or geographical balancing)will be the main determinant of the direction AMAA 2009 takes to ensure that no politics of any kind rears its ugly face in Africa’s creative spectrum. And this point is not being highlighted because there is any indication that this will be the case. Africa has a lot to lose if the creative sphere were to mirror the political one.

Below is the full nomination line-up as announced in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, by Peace Anyiam-Fiberesima, the chief executive officer of AMAA:

BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)

Per Second Killer-Nigeria
Coming of Age-Kenya
Santos the survivor-Kenya
Lost in the South-Rwanda
Congo my foot-FAR

BEST DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)

Private Files – Egypt
Shit on the Rock – Nigeria
Grandma’s not Home – South Africa
For the Best and for the Onion – Niger
Malcom’s Echo – Dami Akinnusi

BEST SHORT FILM

Pamela – Kenya
Who is Best?-Zimbabwe
The Sharing day – Cameroun
Love Is-Zimbabwe
Killer Necklace-Kenya

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BEST ANIMATION

Kono-Burkina Faso
Leila-Burkina Faso
Little Knowledge in Dangerous- Kenya
Manani Ogres- Kenya
Cheprono – Kenya

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

From a Whisper-Kenya
Battle of the Souls-Uganda
Seventh Heaven-Egypt
Gugu and Andile-South Africa
Grey Focus

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING

Cindy’s Note
Reloaded
Modupe Temi
Battle of the Souls
From a Whisper

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION

Small Boy – Michelle Bello
Five Apostles – Ifeanyi Onyeabor
Agony of the Christ – Jude Odoh
Gugu and Andile – Kay Tickerman
Revolution – Eddybongo Uka

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP

Agony of the Christ
Live to Remember
From a whisper
The Assassin
Ase n’tedumare

RELATED: Egypt, Kush and Futuristic Africa Animate 30th Lola Kenya Screen Film Forum

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT

Five Apostle
Battle of the Souls
Smoke and Mirrors
Agony of the Christ
Revolution

Best ORIGINAL IN SOUNDTRACK

Arugba
Beautiful Soul
From a whisper
Agony of the Christ
Jenifa

MOST PROMISING ACTOR

Litha Booi – Gugu and Andile
Mavila Anthana Keriario – Battle of the Souls
Ruffy Samuel – Dead End
Segun Adefila – Arugba
Sherrif Ramzy – Seventh Heaven

MOST PROMISING ACTRESS

Bhaira Mcwizu – Cindy’s Note
Bukola Awoyemi – Arugba
Lydia Farson – Scorned
Lungelo Dhladha – Gugu and Andile
Mfouemon Bea. Flore – Ma Saah Sah

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A CHILD ACTOR

Celia Greenwoood  – The Assasin
Richard Chukwuma – Small Boy
Shanlar Kirunga – Battle of the Souls
Samara Migwi – From a whisper

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Godfrey Odhiambo – From a whisper
Mike Ezuruonye – The Assasin
Michel Majid – Agony of the Christ
Peter Badejo – Arugba
Farouk Alfishawi   – Seventh Heaven

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BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Stephanie Okereke and Nse Etim – Reloaded
Stella Damasus-Aboderin – State of the Heart
Corine Onyango – From a whisper
Nadia Buari – Agony of the Christ
Funke Akindele – Jenifa

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Femi Adebayo – Apaadi
Abubakar Mwenda and Ken Ambani – From a Whisper
Neil Mc Carthy – Gugu and Andile
Yemi Blaq – Grey Focus
Joel Okuyo Prynce – Battle of the Souls

RELATED: Steve Ominde’s Formula X Enriches Kenya’s Film Sector

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Aggie Kebirungi – Battle of the Souls
Mercy Johnson – Live to Remember
Mosunmola Filani – Jenifa
Daphney Hlomoku – Gugu and Andile
Chika Ike – The Assassin

BEST FILM IN AFRICAN LANGUAGE

Gugu and Andile – South Africa
Arugba – Nigeria
Mah Saah Sa – Cameroun
Uyai – Nigeria
Apaadi – Nigeria

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

From a Whisper – Marius Van Graan
Seventh Heaven-Ramses Marzouk
Cindy’s Note – Izu Ojukwu
Gugu and Andile -Greg Heimann
Battle of the Souls – Stephen Njero and Tony Matomi

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME

Agony of the Christ
Apaadi
Live to Remember
Arugba
Seventh Heaven

RELATED: Kenya Shines at the 5th Africa Movie Academy Awards

HEART OF AFRICA AWARD FOR BEST FILMS FROM NIGERIA

Cindy’s Note-Izu Ojukwu
Arugba – Tunde Kelani
Beautiful Soul – Tchidi Chikere
State of the Heart – Kingsley Omoife and Richard Mofe-Damijo
Jenifa – Funke Akindele

BEST SCREENPLAY

From  a Whisper – Wanuri Kahiu
Seventh Heaven – Zainab Aziz
Through the Glass – Stephanie Okereke
Reloaded – Emem Isong
Beautiful soul – Tchidi Chikere

BEST PICTURE

From a Whisper – Kenya
Arugba – Nigeria
Gugu and Andile – South Africa
Battle of the Souls-Uganda
Seventh Heaven – Egypt

BEST DIRECTOR

Wanuri Kahiu -From a Whisper (Kenya)
Tunde Kelani – Arugba (Nigeria)
Minky Schlesinger – Gugu and Andile (South Africa)
Matt Bish – Battle of the Souls (Uganda)
Saad Hendawy – Seventh Heaven (Egypt).