By Iminza Keboge
Published June 13, 2016

Stars shine at AMAA Gala ceremony 2016The awards ceremony of the 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards took place on Saturday, 11 June 2016 at Obi Wali International Conference Centre, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Shaibu Husseini, who presided over the jury in 2016, said that he and his colleagues–Keith Shiri, Ambassador Filippe Savadogo, John Akomfrah, Prof Hyginus Ekwuazi, Steve Ayorinde, Dorothee Wenner, Asantewa Olatunji, June Givanni, Berni Goldblat, Ayuko Babu, and Charles Burnett–had watched
“films that were ambitious and ingenious and films that were completed with scope and verve. We were also entertained by films made at the guerilla end of our industry. Tonight we celebrate these films .”

The jury, Husseini said, had “noticed with great pleasure a growing diversity of genres among the films” they considered. “We also observed a visible development in exploring cinematographic styles especially in the field of storytelling or narration and art direction.”

Also noted was what the jury described as “a strong presence of women in front of and behind the camera.” The jury described the trend as “promising, encouraging and refreshing for audiences and female professionals in the industry.”

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The flip side, the jury said, is “a decline in movies for children and about children. We have over the years handed out awards to child actors but we decided as a jury not to consider that category this year because of inadequate entries.”

The creative gang congregated in Port Harcourt for the 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards Gala ceremony

The jury appealed to filmmakers “to seek out and produce . . . films that celebrate our young ones.”

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That having been said, the jury then singled out the work and artists who they said had excelled and thus deserved to be publicly recognised and rewarded.Those awarded were:

Also present in Nigeria were South African performers and technical crewI. Efere Ozako Award for Best Short Film
Meet The Parents – Nigeria/Canada

II. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Animation
The Pencil – Burkina Faso

III. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Documentary
The Fruitless Tree – Niger

IV. AMAA 2016 Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language
Missing God – Nigeria

V. AMAA 2016 Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award for Best Film by an African Living Abroad
Lambadina – Ethiopia/USA

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VI. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Diaspora Short Film
Across The Track – USA

VII. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Diaspora Documentary
Agents of Change- USA
Spirits of Rebellion – USA

Hear Me Move of South Africa won the AMAA 2016 Award for Achievement in Editing

VIII. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Diaspora Feature Film
Ben & Ara – USA

IX. AMAA 2016 Award for Achievement in Production Design
The Cursed One – Ghana

X. AMAA 2016 Achievement in Costume Design

XI. AMAA 2016 Award for Achievement in Make-Up
Soldiers Story

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Another AMAA statuette under his beltXII. AMAA 2016 Award for Achievement in Soundtrack
O-Town – Nigeria

XIII. AMAA 2016 Award for Achievement in Visual Effect
Oshimiri – Nigeria

XIV. AMAA 2016 Award for Achievement in Sound
Fifty – Nigeria

XV. AMAA 2016 Award for Achievement in Cinematography
The Cursed Ones – Ghana

XVI. AMAA 2016 Award for Achievement in Editing
Hear me Move – South Africa

XVII. AMAA 2016 Award for Achievement in Screenplay
Tell me Sweet Something – South Africa

XVIII. AMAA 2016 Rivers State Government Endowed Award for Best Nigerian Film
Dry – Nigeria

XIX. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Young/Promising Actor
Zubaidat Ibrahim Fagge – Dry – Nigeria

XX. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Abidine Dioari – Eye of the Storm – Burkina Faso

Olu Jacobs and Joke Silver speak to the media in Port Harcourt during the 12th AMAA gala

XXI. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Thishiwe Ziqubu – Tell me Sweet Something – South Africa

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XXII. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Daniel k. Daniel – Soldiers Story

XXIII. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Fulu Mugovhani – Ayanda – South Africa

XXIV. AMAA 2016 Award for Best First Feature Film by a Director
Beyond Blood – Greg Odutayo

Time for artists and crew of the African movie sector to be recognised and rewarded

XXV. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Director
Nana Obiri-Yeboah- The Cursed One – Ghana

XXVI. AMAA 2016 Award for Best Film
Eye of the Storm – Burkina Faso.