The nominees in the 28 categories of the African Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, the annual pan-African reward system for motion picture practitioners were announced yesterday, by Mr. Shaibu Husseini, the President of the Jury. At a media event which took place at the Protea Hotel, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, Husseini who also doubles as the Chairman of the College of Screeners reiterated in his address that AMAA is a jury based award and not a voting awards where nominees embark on voting campaigns to win any of the categories.
The Jury, however, announced nominees into 26 categories as the Board of Jurors is yet to conclude on the remaining two categories. According to Husseini, "The remaining categories are special Jury awards and before the awards ceremony, we would have decided on the nominees and eventual winners and by that time we would have the full Jury members on ground."
The Jury President also revealed that quality of movies that came into the competition have improved greatly, adding that more young people across the continent are coming into the industry as film makers with over 150 short film entries. "Our film makers only need to pay attention to details especially in the technical areas. We have the stories already especially film makers producing films in African languages.
Truth is we can only compete at the Oscars with our indigenous language films and to do this we must improve on our photography, sound, editing and other technical areas. Our people need to improve on sub-titling of our films.
What do as sub-titling are jokes and there is no way our films can travel within the international film festival circuits when the people cant make sense of our films." Films from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Burkina Faso are in hot chase for the AMAA glory in the acting departments and Best Director's Category with such films as Fifty, Dry, The Cursed One, Eye of the Storm, Ayanda, La Pagne, Tell me Sweet Something and Behind Closed Doors.
"We are very happy about the quality of works that came into the competition this year and it gladdens our heart that every year the objectives of the awards are being achieved with film makers in Africa and beyond upping their game," he added.
The Board of Jurors of AMAA which has members which include academics, film makers, critics and Film Festival curators from Nigeria, Germany, United States, Zimbabwe, Jamaica and Burkina Faso will decide on which film and individual talents that will emerge eventual winners at a glamorous Awards Night which will take place on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at the Garden City, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
AMAA 2016 NOMINATION LIST
1. EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM 1. Encounter – Nigeria 2. Le Chemin – Cote De Voire 3. Blood Taxi – Nigeria 4. Meet The Parents – Nigeria/Canada 5. Nourah The Holy Light – Burkina Faso 6. Ireti – Nigeria 7. Life of a Nigerian Couple – Nigeria
2. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION 1. The Pencil – Burkina Faso 2. The Peculiar Life of a Spider – Ghana 3. Funsie Fast Fingers – Nigeria 4. Lazare Sie Pale – Burkina Faso
3. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY 1, My Fathers Funeral – Cameroon 2. Nollywood – Nigeria/Jordan 3. Tchindas- Cape Verde 4. The Fruitless Tree – Niger 5. Runs 'I too Seek The Horizon' – Nigeria/UK 6. Camera/Woman – Morocco
4. OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE 1. Brotherhood Eye – Mali 2. Bala Bala Sese – Uganda 3. Missing God – Nigeria 4. Cursed Treasure – Ghana 5. Wako – Uganda 6. Daggers of Life (Agbe Fe Akumehewo) – Ghana
5. MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD: 1. Lambadina – Ethiopia/USA 2. Skinned – Liberia/USA 3. LAPD African Cop – USA/Nigeria 4. Boxing Day – USA/Nigeria 5. MONA – Nigeria/UK
6. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT 1. Lines – USA 2. Raptors – USA 3. Across The Track – USA 4. Reset -USA
7. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY 1. Agents of Change- USA 2.Can You Dig This- USA 3. America's Blues – USA 4. Spirits of Rebellion – USA
8. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA FEATURE 1. America Is Still the Place – USA 2. Ben & Ara – USA 3. Luv Don't Live Here – USA
9. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN 1. The Cursed One – Ghana 2. Soldiers Story – Nigeria 3. Ayanda- South Africa 4. Missing God – Nigeria 5. Out of Luck- Nigeria
10. AMAA 2016 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN 1. Eye of the storm 2. Oshimiri 3. The Cursed One 4. Ayanda 5. Soldiers Story
11. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP 1. Oshimiri 2. The Cursed One 3. Missing God 4. Soldiers Story
12. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK 1. O-Town – Nigeria 2. Tell Me Sweet Something – South Africa 3. The Cursed One – Ghana 4. Hear me Move – South Africa 5. Le Pagne- Niger
13. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT 1. Hear me Move – South Africa 2. Oshimiri – Nigeria 3. Stupid Movie – Nigeria 4. House Arrest – Uganda 5. Soldiers Story – Nigeria
14. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND 1. Eye of the Storm- Burkina Faso 2. Fifty – Nigeria 3. The Cursed One – Ghana 4. Behind Closed Doors – Morocco 5. Falling – Nigeria 6. Rebecca- Ghana
15. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY 1. The Cursed one 2. Eye of the Storm 3. Ayanda 4. Tell me Sweet Something 5. Fifty
16. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING 1. Behind Closed Doors 2. Rebecca 3. The Cursed One 4. Eye of the Storm 5. Hear me Move
17. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREEN PLAY 1. The Cursed One 2. Tell me Sweet Something 3. The Visit 4. Eye of the Storm 5. Beyond Blood
18. AMAA 2016- RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT ENDOWED AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM 1. Beyond Blood 2. Dry 3. Fifty 4. Missing God 5. Falling 6. O'Town
19. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG/ PROMISING ACTOR 1. Nyanso Dzedze – Hear Me Move 2. Ophelia Klenam Dzidzornu – The Cursed One 3. Zubaidat Ibrahim Fagge – Dry 4. Ifu Ennada – O'Town 5. Eve Esin – Oshimiri
20. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 1. Joseph Otsiman – The Cursed One 2. Uti Nwachukwu – Breathless 3. Abidine Dioari – Eye of the Storm 4. Odunlade Adekola – Taxi Driver 5. Kenneth Nkosi – Ayanda 6. Thomas Gumede- Tell Me Sweet Something
21. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 1. Thishiwe Ziqubu – Tell me Sweet Something 2. Maureen Okpoko – Missing God 3. Ijeoma Grace Agu – Jimi Bendel/ Taxi Driver 4. Bontte Modiselle – Hear Me Move 5. Nthati Moshesh – Ayanda 6. Linda Ejiofor– Out of Luck
22. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE 1. Oris Erhuero – The Cursed One 2. OC Ukeje – Ayanda 3. Fragass Assande – Eye of the Storm 4. Masego 'Maps' Maponyane – Tell me Sweet Something 5. Daniel k. Daniel – Soldiers Story 6. Biuferi Yakoubi – La Pagne
23. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
1. Zineb Odeib – Behind Closed Doors 2. Adesua Etomi- Falling 3. Fulu Mugovhani – Ayanda 4. Maimouna N'Daiye – Eye of the Storm 5. Iretiola Doyle, Dakore Egbuson, Nse Ikpe Etim, Omoni Oboli – Fifty 6. Nomzamo Mbatha – Tell me Sweet Something
24. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM BY A DIRECTOR 1. MONA – Anthony Abuah 2. Beyond Blood – Greg Odutayo 3. 8 Bars and A Clef- Chioma Onyenwe
25. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR 1. Nana Obiri-Yeboah- The Cursed One 2. Biyi Bandele- Fifty 3. Sekou Toure- Eye of the Storm 4. Sara Blecher- Ayanda 5. Moussa Hamadou Djingarey- La Pagne 6. Stephanie Linus – Dry 7. Akin Omotoso – Tell me Sweet Something 8. Mohammed Ahed Bensouda – Behind Closed Doors
26. AMAA 2016 AWARD FOR BEST FILM 1. The Cursed One – Ghana 2. Fifty – Nigeria 3. Eye of the Storm – Burkina Faso 4. Ayanda – South Africa 5. La Pagne- Niger 6. Dry – Nigeria 7. Tell me Sweet Something- South Africa 8. Behind Closed Doors- Morocco
