The Jury of the African Movie Academy award has released the nominees for the 28 categories of the continental awards for motion picture practitioners in Africa and the Diaspora.
At a nominations gala night in global entertainment headquarters, Los Angeles, United States, the 2015 AMAA Jury, chaired by the Zimbabwean, Keith Shiri, announced nominations that have Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Angola and Mauritius leading the pack in the numbers of films from the countries in competition, while the United States led the pack in the films from the Africans in Diaspora.
Films from Nigerian filmmakers such as October 1, Cheetanah, Iyore, Dazzling Mirage are very prominent on the nominations list while Triangle Going to America from Ethiopia, Timbuktu from Mauritius and Queen of Angola from Angola are very strong in various categories of the award.
In a move that may not surprise pundits, Ghana-born actress, Jocelyn Dumas, and her Nigerian counterpart, Ini Edo, are once again in big battle for the Best Actress category for their roles in While You Slept and Silver Rain.
The two leading female actors were nominated in the same category in 2014.
Two new revelations in the Most Promising Actor/Actress category are Demola Adedoyin for his role in Kunle Afolayan’s October 1 and Kemi Lala Akindoju for her role in Tunde Kelani’s Dazzling Mirage.
At a ceremony attended by the cream of top Hollywood filmmakers and their Nigerian counterparts, the Chairman of the College of Screeners and member of the Jury, Shaibu Husseini, noted the improvement in the quality of films coming to AMAA every year since inception 11 years ago.
“It is gratifying to note that filmmakers from the continent and beyond are investing more into their trade and the evidence of their investments are the quality films we see even though there will always be room for improvements,” said Husseini, while giving details of the nominations.
Some of the Nollywood practitioners who attended the event and their other African counterparts include Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Faithia Balogun, O.C. Ukeje, Patience Uzokwor, Kingsley Ogoro, Paul Okoli, Chioma Chukwuka, Kunle Afolayan, Emem Isong, Doris Simon, Eniola Badmus, Aki and Paw Paw and Ghana-born Lydia Forson, who is also AMAA brand ambassador
The Chief Executive Officer of AMAA, Dayo Ogunyemi, said the leadership of the award body decided to take the nominations event to Hollywood this year to begin the concrete step of taking African cinema to the home of global cinema for a mutually and economically viable cooperation.
Ogunyemi said: “A unique aspect of the nomination event this year is that AMAA’s parent organization, the Africa Film Academy (whose advisory board Danny Glover co-chairs) is developing a slate of ten films that will be co-productions between black filmmakers across the globe.
“The stories to be pitched within this slate will have a global appeal but will speak to the aspirations and stories of the global black community.
“Accordingly the attendees for this event have been selected with a view to ensuring the highest level of returns and enhancing the global value chain for black filmmakers.”
It will be recalled that the AMAA 2015 College of Screeners received over 800 entries from over 50 countries of the world within and outside Africa covering feature films, short films, animations and documentaries.
AMAA main event, which is the award night, will hold in South Africa in September and it will be the first time the continental awards will take place outside Nigeria in its 11 years, having held 10 previous editions in Nigeria.
Full list of nominees
1. EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
1. Stories of Our Lives ‘’Run’ – Kenya
2. Aisha’s Story – Nigeria
3. Gulped of the Blue Sea – Togo
4. Memoir of a Honest Voice- Sierra Leone
5. Twaaga – Burkina Faso
2. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION
1. The Throne – Nigeria
2. Alternative to Corporal Punishment – Namibia
3. The Legacies of Rubbies – Nigeria
4. Akorkoli – Ghana
3. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
1. Egypt Modern Pharaohs ‘Nasser’ – Egypt
2. The Dream of Shahrazad – South Africa
3. Nelson Mandela, The Myth and Me- South Africa
4. Beats of The Antonov – Sudan
5. The Supreme Price – Nigeria/USA
4. OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE
1. TIMBUKTU – Mauritania
2. Triangle Going to America – Ethiopia
3. Cheetanah – Nigeria
4. Juliet and Romeo- Burkina Faso
5. INumber Number – South Africa
5. MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD:
1. Gone Too Far – Nigeria/UK
2. Thorns of Roses (O Esphinho Da Rosa) – Guinea Bissau/Portugal
3. Fevers – France/Morocco
4. Affairs of the Heart – Nigeria/USA
6. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT
1. Sound of Tears- Canada
2. Hand to the Sky – USA
3. Calm – UK
7. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY
1. Jimmy Goes to Nollywood- USA/HAITI
2. The Black Panthees vanguard of the Revolution – USA
3. Bound: Africans VS African Americans – USA
4. Black Panther Woman – Australia
8. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA FEATURE
1. Under the Starry Sky – France
2. CRU – USA
3. Supremacy – USA
9. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
1. INumber Number- South Africa
2. October 1 – Nigeria
3. Le President- Cameroun
4. Run – Cote d’voire
5. Timbuktu – Mauritania
10. AMAA 2015 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
1. Dazzling Mirage- Nigeria
2. Run – Cote d’Voire
3. Njinga: Queen of Angola – Angola
4. October 1 – Nigeria
5. INumber Number – South Africa
11. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP
1. Run – Cote d’voire
2. Iyore – Nigeria
3. Silver Rain – Ghana
4. INumber Number – South Africa
5. Njinga: Queen of Angola – Angola
12. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK
1. A Place in the Stars – Nigeria
2. Triangle Going to America – Ethiopia
3. Iyore – Nigeria
4. Njinga: Queen of Angola – Angola
5. Timbuktu – Mauritius
13. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT
1. Invasion 1897 – Nigeria
2. Kpians – Nigeria
3. Run – Cote d’Voire
4. INumber Number – South Africa
5. Triangle Going to America – Ethiopia
14. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
1. Lobraz Khan – South Africa
2. Le President – Cameroun
3. Run – Cote d’Voire
4. Timbuktu – Mauritius
5. INumber Number – South Africa
15. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Triangle Going to America – Ethiopia
2. INumber Number – South Africa
3. Run – Cote d’voire
4. Lobraz Khan – Mauritius
5. Timbuktu – Mauritius
16. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
1. October 1
2. INumber umber
3. Triangle Going to America
4. Run
5. Timbuktu
17. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREEN PLAY
1. Le President
2. While You Slept
3. Timbuktu
4. Love or Something Like That
5. Run
18. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST COMEDY FILM
1. 30 Days in Atlanta
2. Iya Alalake
3. Last Three Digits
19. AMAA 2015- BAYELSA STATE GOVERNMENT ENDOWED AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM
1. Invasion 1897
2. Dazzling Mirage
3. October 1
4. Iyore
5. A Place in the Stars
20. AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST CHILD ACTOR
1. Layla Walet Mohammed and Mehdi A.G Mohammed – Timbuktu
2. Joshua Ibrahim and Daniel Ibrahim- A Place in the Stars
3. (AMAA Admin to provide name of the child actors in the movie STIGMA. They were not listed on the entry form and on the credit line of the film)
21. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG/ PROMISING ACTOR
1. Demola Adedoyin – October 1
2. Vinjeru Kamanga – BELLA
3. Kemi Lala Akindoju – Dazzling Mirage
4. Hassan Spike Insingoma -Boda Boda Thieves
5. Chiedza Mhende – Love the one You Love
22. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
1. Israel Makoe – INumber Number
2. Paul Obazele – Iyore
3. Chumani Pan- Silver Rain
4. OC Ukeje – Love or Something Like That
5. (AMAA Admin to provide name of the supporting actor in Triangle, Going to America. Was not listed on the film and on the credit line of the film)
23. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
1. Hilda Dokubo – Stigma
2. Toulou Kiki -Timbuktu
3. Reina Salicoulibaly- RUN
4. Prossy Rukundo – Boda Boda Thieves
5. Ama Amphofo – Devil in a Detail
24. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
1. Tony Kroroge – Cold Harbour
2. Sdumo Matshali- INumber Number
3. Abdoul Kareem Konate – RUN
4. Sadiq Daba – October 1
5. Gerard Essomba- Le President
25. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
1. Lesliana Pereira – NJINGA: Queen of Angola
2. Queen Nwokoye – Cheetenah
3. Aida Wang – Juliet and Romeo
4. Jocelyn Dumas –Silver Rain
5. Ini Edo – While You Slept
26. AMAA 2015 AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FEATURE FILM BY A DIRECTOR
1. Carey Mckenzie -Cold Harbour
2. Jenna Bass- Love the one you love
3. Destiny Ekeragha -Gone Too Far
4. Tawonga Taddja Nkhonjera -Bella
27. AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
1. Theodros Teshome Kebede- Triangle Going to America – Ethiopia
2. Theo Nel- INumber Number
3. Abderrahmane Sissako – Timbuktu
4. Phillipe Lacote – Run
5. Kunle Afolayan – October 1
28. AMAA 2014 AWARD FOR BEST FILM
1. Run – Cote d’Voire
2. Timbuktu – Mauritania
3. INumber Number – South Africa
4. Triangle Going to America – Ethiopia
5. October 1- Nigeria.
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