AMAA 2017: African filmmakers’ night of glory in Lagos

It was a befitting night of glamour and celebration for practitioners in the motion picture industry across Africa and the Diaspora at the 13th edition of Africa Movie Academy Awards, which took place Saturday July 15, 2017 at the Expo Centre, Eko Hotela and Suites, Lagos.

Officially hosted by the Lagos State Government, the award had over 4000 people in attendance including delegates from 40 countries within and outside Africa, and was broadcasted live on both the Lagos Television (LTV) and Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and scores of international and local media organisations in attendance.

It was a night of high stake networking among celebrities, business and public sector leaders in Lagos.

Akinwumi Ambode, the host governor, who was represented by Idiat Adebule, his deputy, expressed his joy and that of the government and people of the state in hosting the continental event adding that Lagos under his leadership believes in the power of the creative and film industry as a potent force to positively project the image of Africa beyond the negative stereotype of western media.

In his address delivered by his deputy, the governor showered encomium on Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, the founder of AMAA, for her tenacity and hard-work that have sustained the AMAA brand for 13 years.

“We are happy that AMA Awards returned to Lagos five years after it held here in 2012. I congratulate the nominees for being considered worthy of the honours,” Ambode said in his address.

Anyiam-Osigwe in her brief remarks expressed her gratitude and that of her team to the government of Lagos State and to the awards’ Jury members who have ensured the integrity of the awards remains unassailable.

“Thank you to His Excellency, Governor Ambode for making this year’s AMAA possible. I say very big thank you from my heart. To my colleagues in the film industry I want to say we should continue to use our films to promote integration and socio-economic progress of our continent. We are one as Africans and our governments should make it easy for us to move within Africa for more collaboration without restrictions.”

At the awards night, Felicite from Senegal — a movie about a nightclub singer who grapples to pay for her son’s treatment after a road accident — snagged awards in three of the six major categories. It won best film, best actress in a leading role, and best supporting actor.

Nigerian historical drama, ’76, won three awards from its eight nominations. The Izu Ojukwu-directed flick won Best Production Design, Achievement in Production and Lagos State award for Best Nigerian Film.

Vaya, a South African film directed by a Nigeria and the film with highest nominations (10), picked up three awards, which include; Best Director for Akin Omotoso and Best Screenplay while Queen of Katwe, from Uganda starring Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong’o,  won two of its eight nominations.

In total, Nigeria won nine awards, inclusive of the lifetime achievement honour given to veteran comic-actor Nkem Owoh.

Speaking on his Best Director win for his film Vava and the fact that Nigerian films did not win many awards, Akin Omotosho, a Nigerian film maker based in South Africa, said AMAA is not about Nollywood but a Pan-African awards.

The event had in attendance several celebrities including; Olu Jacobs, Bimbo Akintola, Ramsey Nouah, among others. Celine Loader, a Cameroonian and an oil industry executive in Lagos was also given Special Recognition Award for her contribution to the growth of the film industry in Africa and Nigeria in particular.

Ykee Bender, a Ugandan pop star, Paul Play Dairo, Nigerian highlife musician, and Sir. Shina Peters, Maestro Band and Afro Juju music legend, performed at the award ceremony.

OBINNA EMELIKE