The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs), which entries close on October 30, has new categories and head judge. This emerged in Kenya after a panel of representatives from M-Net West and East Africa discussed preparations for the 2016 edition with East African filmmakers and members of the press.
The panel included the Regional Director, M-Net West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu; the Channel Head, Maisha Magic; East Africa, Margaret Mathore; and the Public Relations Manager for MultiChoice Tanzania, Barbara Kambogi.
A surprise addition to the panel was respected Kenyan film producer, critic and academic, Njoki Muhoho, who was also unveiled as the new head judge for the 2016 AMVCAs.
Opening the event, Mathore said: “The purpose of today’s session is to inform all stakeholders in the East African film and television industry of entries for the 2016 edition of the AMVCAs. This is particularly important, given that we have new categories for next year’s edition, and have also eased the entry process, so that filmmakers across the continent can send in their works.
“For the upcoming edition, there are three new categories which are the Best East African Movie, the Best Southern African Movie and the Best West African Movie. All these are voting categories, and will exist side by side with the best overall movie in Africa. This is indeed an exciting opportunity for East African filmmakers to not only submit their films, but also actively contribute to the re-telling of the East African story through their craft.”
A question and answer session followed, with participants wanting to know about this year’s AMVCAs, including the entry, voting and judging processes, as well as the award’s future and the possible expansion of the event.
Mba-Uzoukwu said they were delighted to be engaging directly with the stakeholders from East Africa.
“This region is an extremely important contributor to the African film and television industry and we continue to see an increase in the quantity and quality of works from here. We have come to encourage the filmmakers present to not only enter their works, but to also encourage their peers to do the same as the AMVCA, besides being pan-African in nature, also celebrates the best of African entertainment content for the world to see,” she said.
To enter for the AMVCAs, filmmakers who have produced and broadcast or publically exhibited their works from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015, should prepare a two or three minutes show reel for an online submission. They must then go online and get submission details.
Muhoho shared the perspective of having participated in the judging process of the three previous editions, while challenging East African filmmakers to take advantage of the new entry process and show the rest of Africa just how rich and exciting the region’s content is.
“The recognition that the AMVCAs brings to nominated and winning works cannot be quantified or overstated. The quality and quantity of the works entered have improved dramatically from the first edition in 2013. When you are nominated for an AMVCAs, then you know you have gained continental and global recognition. But you cannot gain this if you do not enter your work. This is why I urge all East African filmmakers who meet the criteria to enter their films and show the rest of Africa the amount of talent and creativity abundant in this region,” Muhoho said.