THE 18th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards which was held on Sunday, October 30, will remain memorable to attendees and winners as Nigerian films took the shine of the event with a total of eight awards.
Films by Nigerians and Nigerian directors that won and stamped Nigeria’s superiority filmmaking include Bolanle Austen Peters’ ‘Man of God’ and Kunle Afolayan’s ‘Swallow’ which carted home two awards respectively, while Tope Oshin’s ‘Here Love Lies’, Tunde Aina’s ‘Underbelly’, Ogo Okpue’s ‘A Song from the Dark’, and Walter Banger’s ‘Jolly Roger’ won one award each.
Tanzania’s ‘Tug of War’ and South Africa’s ‘Surviving Gaza’ came after Nigeria with four awards each while ‘Borga,’ a film shot by a German director in Ghana came next with three awards.
Other films that won different categories include Somalia and Kenya’s ‘Ayaanle’, Senegal’s ‘Astel’, Uganda’s ‘No way out’ and ‘Tembele,’ USA’s ‘Contraband’ and ‘Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story’ and Peru’s ‘The Rumba King’.
Held at the Jewel Aeida Hall, Lekki, Lagos, the award ceremony had juju maestro, King Sunny Ade serenaded nominees, African film enthusiasts and practitioners with tunes from his array of juju hits, while Funnybone, Chigul, and Kachi Offia took turns as hosts.
With nominees from different parts of Africa and the diaspora in attendance, the 2022 AMAA also had thrilling performances from P-Square, Choc City’s Young Jon and Candy Bleakz, Zadok, and Yinka Davies.
Two highpoints of the awards ceremony include P-Square’s performance and King Sunny Ade’s two-time on the AMAA stage.
Speaking at the event, the founder of AMAA and Chief Executive Officer of the African Film Academy (AFA), Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, chided African filmmakers for shunning ego and embracing more collaborations to enhance the growth of the African film industry.
She stressed the need for film practitioners in Africa to unite and chart a pathway for African leaders in supporting the creative sector.
Among guests that grace the event include Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Pharmacist Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf with her husband; Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor on Education, Tokunbo Wahab, the Jury led by Keith Shiri, Shaibu Husseini, Steve Ayorinde.
Others are film practitioners that include Richard Mofe Damijo, Keppy Ekpeyong Bassey, Idowu Phillips (Iya Rainbow), Bimbo Manuel, Jennifer Eliogu, David Akande, Dickson Iroegbu, Wole Ojo, Daniel K. Daniel, Enyinna Nwigwe, Deyemi Okanlawon, Yemi Blaq, Osas Ighodaro, Denrele Edun, Sola Fajobi, Tony Akposeri, Osita Iheme amongst others.
Full list of the winners
1. EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
Astel -Senegal
2. JUBRIL MALAIFIA AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION
No Way Out – Uganda
3. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
No U Turn – Nigeria
4. AMAA 2022 OUSMANE SEMBENE AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE
Tug of War – Tanzania
5. AMAA 2022 MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN-BORN DIRECTOR LIVING ABROAD
Tope Oshin Here Love Lies
6. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA SHORT FILM
Contraband – USA
7. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY
The Rumba King – Peru
8. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA NARRATIVE FEATURE
Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story – USA
9. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN
Underbelly – Nigeria
10. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
Man of God – Nigeria
11. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP
Angeliena – South Africa
12. AMAA 2022 BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK
Tug of War – Tanzania
13. AMAA 2022 BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
Surviving Gaza – South Africa
14. AMAA 2022 BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
Surviving Gaza – South Africa
15. AMAA 2022 BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
Tembele – Uganda
16. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
Jolly Roger – Nigeria
17. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREEN PLAY
Borga – Ghana
18. AMAA 2022 NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO CENSORS BOARD (NFVB) AWARD
FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM
Man of God
19. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG/PROMISING ACTOR
Amina Mohamed- Ayaanle
20. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Adjetey Annang – Borga
21. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Ijeoma Grace Agu – Swallow
22. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Eugene Boateng – Borga
23. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Ikhlas Gafur Vora – Tug of War
24. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR FIRST FEATURE BY A DIRECTOR
Ogo Okpue – A Song from the Dark
25. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Vusi Africa Sindane – Surviving Gaza
26. AMAA 2022 AWARD FOR BEST FILM
Tug of War- Tanzania
