Organisers of the Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, have announced the nominees for the 19th edition of the prestigious awards ceremony, themed ‘The Renaissance’.
Africa Film Academy (AFA) board represented by Mr. Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe and the AMAA Jury represented by Mr. Steve Ayorinde, announced the line up of activities for the 2023 edition of the film and movie awards ceremony at a media briefing in Lagos on Thursday.
According to Anyiam-Osigwe, the awards ceremony will be held on October 29, 2023 at The Balmoral Event Centre situated inside Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
He further explained that this edition would redefine the awards ahead of future plans and the 20th edition in 2024.
Also speaking during the briefing, Ayorinde, who represented the president of the AMAA jury, Keith Shiri, stressed that the jury went through a tedious and steadfast process to arrive at the nominees for each of the 26 categories that will compete for the 2023 AMAA coveted plaques.
Ayorinde also said the process, which has always been credited as very transparent by industry heads, began from call for entries submission, to screening by the College of Screeners headed by film critic and journalist, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, followed by its submission to the jury for final nomination after which the official nomination list was unveiled.
During the event, a one-minute silence was observed to honour the late founder and Chief Executive Officer of AFA and AMAA, Peace Ogechi Anyiam-Osigwe, who passed away earlier this year.
C. J. Obasi’s 2023 globally-acclaimed film, ‘Mami Wata’, clinched the most nominations this year with a total of 12 while Kunle Afolayan’s ‘Anikulapo’ got nine nominations, slightly ahead of Izu Ojukwu’s ‘4-4-44’ with eight nominations.
The three Nigerian films will compete in the awards two biggest categories, Best Picture and Best Director, where four other strong films across Africa are competing.
Below is the full list of nominees for the 19th AMAA:
AMAA 2023 Nomination List
1. Efere Ozako Award for Best Short Film
• Lions – Ethiopia
• Riel – Namibia
• Enmity Djinn – Mauritania
2. Jubril Malaifia Award for Best Animation
• Lost – Uganda
• Azania Rises – South Africa • Jabari – Ghana
• Bashorun Gaa – Nigeria
3. Best Documentary
• Africa, Cradle of Humankind and Modern Civilization – Senegal/Canada
• Nightlife in Lasgidi – Nigeria
• Maayo Wonaa Keerol – The River is not a Border –
Senegal
• Ifine (Beauty) – Sierra Leone
• Le Spectre de Boko Haram – Cameroon
4. Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language
• Pusha Pressa Phanda – South Africa •
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
• The Kitara Chronicle – Uganda
• Four Walls – South Africa
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
5. Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award for Best Film by an
African-Born Director Living Abroad
• Talia’s Journey – Senegal/Belgium)
• Golden Stripes – Nigeria/UK
• KOFA – Nigeria/Canada
6. Best Diaspora Short Film
• We Were Meant To – United States
• The Ballad of Olive Morris – United Kingdom
• Fifty-Four Days – United Kingdom
• Raw Materials – Jamaica
7. Best Diaspora Documentary
• Sound of the Police – United States
• Fantastico Negrito: Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? United States
• Black Rio – Brazil
8. Best Diaspora Narrative Feature
• Chee$e – Trinidad & Tobago
• Our Father, The Devil – United States
• The Pastor and the Revolutionary – Brazil
9. Best Achievement in Production Design
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• Sira – Burkina Faso
• Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• Gereza – South Africa
10. Best Achievement in Costume Design
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Xalé – Senegal
• Omen – DRC
• Sira – Burkina Faso
11. Best Achievement in Make-Up
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
• Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria
12. Best Achievement in Soundtrack
• Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• L’Axe Lourd (The Highway) – Cameroon
• Gereza – South Africa
• Omen – DRC
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
13. Best Achievement in Visual Effects
• Omen – DRC
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• The Trade – Nigeria
• Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria
14. Best Achievement in Sound
• Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
• Sira – Burkina Faso
• Omen – DRC
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Xalé – Senegal
15. Best Achievement in Cinematography
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• Talia’s Journey – Senegal/Belgium
• Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
16. Best Achievement in Editing
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• Sira – Burkina Faso
• Gereza – South Africa
• Fight like a Girl – Rwanda
17. Best Achievement in Screenplay
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Xalé – Senegal
• Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
18. National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVB) Award
for Best Nigerian Film
• Mami Wata
• Anikulapo
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four)
• Gangs of Lagos
• The Trade
• L.I.F.E.
• Brotherhood
19. Best Young/Promising Actor
• Maleek Sanni – Gangs of Lagos
• Jennifer Ewube -L’axe Lourd (The Highway)
• Darisimi Nadi – Obara’m
• Sanou Titiama – Le chant des fusils (The Song of the Rifles)
• Eyiyemi Afolayan – Anikulapo
20. Best Actor in a Supporting Role
• Francis Onwochei – The Trade – Nigeria
• Jeff Jackson Morgianho – Four Walls – South Africa
• Hakeem Kae-Kazim – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• Jimmy Jean-Louis -Rise – United States
21. Best Actress in a Supporting Role
• Uzoamaka Aniunoh – Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Rokhaya Niang – Xalé – Senegal
• Clarck Ntambwe – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
22. Best Actor in a Leading Role
• Richard Mofe-Damijo(RMD) – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Marc Zinga – Omen – DRC
• Fernando Kamugisha – The Fallen Advocate –Uganda
• Tobi Bakre – Brotherhood – Nigeria
• Justin Murichii – Shimoni – Kenya
• Mike Danon – Sira – Burkina Faso
23. Best Actress in a Leading Role
• Lucie Debay – Omen – DRC
• Ehle Mbali Mlotshwa – Four Walls – South Africa
• Nafissatou Cissé – Sira – Burkina Faso
• Adesua Etomi – Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria
• Nse Ikpe-Etim – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Bimbo Ademoye – Anikulapo – Nigeria
• Ama Qamata – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
24. First Debut Feature by a Director
• Baloji – Omen – DRC
• Ery Claver – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
• Jean Elliot Ilboudo (Le Chant des Fusils)The Song of the Rifles- Burkina Faso
25. Best Director
• Moussa Sene Absa – Xalé
• C. J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi – Mami Wata
• Baloji – Omen
• Apolline Traore – Sira
• Izu Ojukwu – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four)
• Kunle Afolayan – Anikulapo
• Kgosana Monchusi, Menzi Mzimela, Juvaiś Dunn – Four Walls
26. Best Film
• Xalé- Senegal
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• Four Walls – South Africa
• Sira – Burkina Faso
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
