Those who like to say that Nigeria’s biggest filmmaking rival is South Africa may have to eat their words. What with Mauritania calling the shots as it were at the just-concluded Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) which took place for the first time outside Nigeria, September 26, at Boardwalk Convention Centre, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
At an impressive awards night which had celebrities, top government officials and business leaders in attendance, Mauritania led the pack in the number of awards won with the film Timbuktu, which won four AMAA statuettes for Best Film, Best Film in an African Language, Best Child Actor and Best Director. It was followed by Nigeria with Kunle Afolayan’s film, October 1, which won in three categories: Best Actor in a Leading Role (won by veteran actor Sadiq Daba, Best Costume Design and Best Nigerian Film (a prize endowed by the Bayelsa State Government).
South Africa, with the film, iNumber Number, and Mauritius, with the film Lonbraz Kann, registered their presence on the winners’ table. Other countries on the winners’ list include Ethiopia, with the film Triangle Going to America, Egypt with the film Egypt’s Modern Pharaohs, and Angola with Njinga: Queen of Angola.
The Founder of AMAA, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, and its CEO, Mr. Dayo Ogunyemi, jointly expressed satisfaction with the awards show despite the visa challenges many delegates faced.
In her speech, the AMAA founder challenged the government of South Africa to do more in opening the country to other African citizens, as African nations fought alongside South Africa to defeat apartheid.
“For the first time in history of 11 years of AMAA, many of our nominees could not attend because of the difficult process and delays in getting South African issued visas, whereas Britons, Americans, French and Germans do not require visas to enter South Africa. Why should any African need a visa to enter any country in Africa? The Europeans that gave us borders have removed theirs for free movement.
“We are one and the theme of AMAA and our other initiatives this year is Africa One. We will be going on tour of Africa with our creative artistes in music, film, comedy, visual arts and fashion with this message. The creative sector can employ millions of African youths, and our governments must support and invest in this sector,” said Anyiam-Osigwe amid thunderous applause.
Anyiam-Osigwe also spoke on behalf of Chairman, UBA Plc and Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu, who was honoured with the title of Honorary Counsel to the AMAA, but could not attend the event because of his engagement at the United Nations General Assembly Summit on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Elumelu accepted his new status alongside other honorees such as Horace Ove, Harry Belafonte and Melvin Van Peebles who also bagged lifetime achievement awards.
He said in his speech read on his behalf by Anyiam-Osigwe at the ceremony that he would continue to work to promote the arts and entrepreneurship in Africa for three reasons which include self-determination and self-empowerment, economic and social development aspirations of the continent and, most importantly, pure entertainment.
“I am proud to be an Honorary Counsel for the AMAA, proud to be your ambassador and proud to be a long-term investor in the African movie industry. More than that, I am proud to be a consumer of your products and a fan of your enormous talents.
“I am committed to supporting the industry, because I, like everyone else, want to be entertained. Good films educate, mystify, frighten or inspire us. They make us laugh, hold us in suspense, teach us important life lessons, chronicle important moments, give us insight into other perspectives of the same story and transport us to imagined places anywhere in time and space. They connect us to every emotion that man is capable of experiencing, because we all love a good story,” he said.