The 10th anniversary of the 2014 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) held last weekend in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, but the memories of the glamorous event continue to linger. What with many of Nollywood stars and their counterparts from across Africa and from most places on the globe there to take part.
Clarion Chukwura
Just like it was said earlier in the day at a press conference with the jury to herald the awards, the AMAA has become an enduring platform for more and more people to come to Africa to celebrate the art of cinema.
But the South African producers of the film, Of Good Report, didn’t just come to the AMAA to celebrate, their plan was to conquer. With five awards including: Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor, they swept this edition of the AMAA. The Forgotten Kingdom, also from South Africa, is the other film that came close with three awards, but nothing comes close to winning Best Picture and Best Director in one fell swoop.
And if you think this clean sweep from the South Africans is the reason AMAA founder, Ms. Piece Anyiam-Osigwe, is stepping down as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the award, then there is another thing coming. Ms. Anyiam-Osigwe has in the last year been saying that she would relinquish the title of CEO, but perhaps because the hat fits her so well, no one took notice.
In her very passionate speech at the event, she said she would be focussing on growing grassroots cinema across Africa, a business which has already started in Uganda and Kenya with her partner from the 234 Media.
“For the last 10 years, I have done the show; now I am going to focus on the business,” she said.
Many will miss her and wonder why she did not name a successor.
One of the things guests would remember is the fact that the perceived sworn Nollywood enemies – Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN) president, Ibinabo Fiberisima, and winner of Best Actress for her role in Apaye, Clarion Chukwura – made fences.
While Chukwura made her passionate speech for peace in Nollywood in which she thanked her children and publicist, among others, Fiberisima was caught by the television cameras nodding. As if to indicate that the nodding was not plastic, she is said to have bought Chukwura a drink at the Port Harcourt airport where they met on their way back to Lagos. Only time will tell whether this was just a scene in the long drama or for real.
Chukwura has been quoted to have said that Fiberesima is not fit to rule the AGN. Of course, shortly before the AMAA event took place last weekend, she was heard telling someone that what she really wanted was harmony in the Nigerian film industry.
This year, too, Genevieve Nnaji, Stephanie Okereke and Omotola Jolade-Ekeinde were absent at the prestigious event that also honoured Bob Manuel-Udokwu, who was there with Richard Mofe-Damijo and Kanayo O. Kanayo – all three in government.
Success does have a lot of friends, and this played out on the night of the awards when a certain Nigerian purportedly based in South Africa mounted the podium three times out of the five Of Good Report was called out for an award to claim that he co-produced the film. What really peeved the crowd was that he made long speeches at each occasion and was booed off when he came out the fourth time.
Fally Ipupa did not make it, but it is safe to say that the crowd did not miss him, with powerful performances from Timi Dakolo, Keshe, Bez Idakula, J.Martins and Flavour as well as comedians like Aproko, Funny Bone and Geebonz.
Perhaps what continues to give people concern is that, except for Bez, all the other performances were lip-synched. This is considering that the Kingsley Ogoro Academy deployed state-of-the-art equipment for the AMAA 2014 ceremony.
The late Amaka Igwe was remembered at the ceremony with two standing ovations and a eulogy. When Ms. Anyiam-Osigwe first came out to bid the crowd to observe a one minute silence for the departed film-maker, she ended up reciting an ode in praise of Igwe and revealing that the doctors at the hospital she had been taken to were on strike or it would have been a different story.
Later, one of the presenters of the show and former AGN president, Segun Arinze, keep the guests standing for a minute silence for the late film-maker.
Three new endowed prizes were presented at the awards: the Madiba Award for a film promoting Nelson Mandela’s ideals, Women Empowerment by the President of Malawi, Joyce Banda, and the Special Jury Prize in recognition of exemplary harvest of short films. Ni Sisi from Kenya, B for Boy and New Horizon both from Nigeria, won the endowed awards in that order.
It was also a night of speeches. Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Gboribiogha John Jonah, who stood in for the Governor, Seriake Dickson; Director General of the Bayelsa State Tourism Board, Mrs. Ebizi Ndiomu-Brown; and the Special Guest, Hollywood actor, Danny Glover; said so much has changed in the last 10 years in Bayelsa.
