Despite the depression that the Nigerian film industry has been experiencing in recent times, Lagos-based film maker, Kunle Afolayan, picked five major prizes at the African Movie Academy Awards held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Saturday night.
Kunle Afolayan
His words The Figurine beat films from other African countries and the Diaspora to win the Heart of Africa for the Best Film from Nigeria; the Best Picture; AMAA Achievement in Visual Effects; and Best Film in Cinematography categories.
The Figurine also produced another major winner in Ramsey Nouah, who won the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role based on his role in it..
While other Nigerian movies such as AMBO-produced The Child, Fulani and The Tenant also asserted themselves on the scales of the awards whose jurors were drawn from different parts of the world, films from other African countries won in key areas as well.
Among others, The Perfect Picture, a Ghanaian film by Shirley Frimpong-Manso, won the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role and the Best Director categories, beating Nigerian stars such as Bimbo Akintola (Freedom in Chains), Stephanie Okereke (Nnenda) Kunle Afolayan (The Figurine) and Jude Idada (The Tenant).
The Child won the Best Achievement in Editing and AMAA Achievement in Costume, while The Tenant, produced by Canada-based Jude Idada and Lucky Ejim won in the Best Screenplay category.
At the awards sponsored by Bayelsa State Government and United Bank for Africa Plc were Emmy Award-winning actor, Glynn Turman; renowned film producers, directors and teachers such as June Givi and Dorothy Wenner ; and a Ghanaian legend, King Ampaw, who bagged the Lifetime Award for Filmmaking.
While Bayelsa State Governor, Timpreye Sylva, said that the government was proud to support AMAA to promote Pan Africanism through culture and tourism, UBA's Corporate Affairs Manager, Mr. Charles Akhigbe, described it as a veritable platform to connect people in Africa and beyond.
In her remarks, AMAA's Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, said it was established to propel what she called the African dream.
"The continent needs to stir real dreams about itself. We need to tell our own stories and come together to promote our dreams," she said.
