Nollywood in limbo as Kenya, South Africa rule AMAA Awards

But for Funke “Jenifa” Akindele, Mercy Johnson, Tunde Kelani’s Arugba and wonder kid actor, Richard Chukwuma, who gave the home audience something to cheer at the 5th African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) held at the Glory Cultural Centre, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State last weekend, Nigeria’s outing at the grand awards ceremony would have paled into insignificance.Funke whose role as Jenifa in the movie of the same title had earned her multiple awards at the Future Awards held earlier in the year, won the prestigious Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role ahead of her compatriots, Stephanie Okereke, Nse Etim, and Stella Damasus. Mercy Johnson, who like Funke was also absent at the ceremony clinched the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role plaque for her role in Live to Remember while Chukwuma was rated AMAA Best Child Actor, for his role in the movie, Small Boy.Kelani’s chart-buster, Arugba, which had ten nominations, was only successful in two categories: AMAA Achievement in Costume and Heart of Africa Award for Best Films from Nigeria. Others who also made the country proud included the make-up artiste of the film, Live to Remember, which was voted best for AMAA Achievement in Make Up, and Izu Ojukwu’s Cindy Notes, which won AMAA Achievement in Cinematography.However, the evening of glamour and variety entertainment, which had in attendance Governor Timipre Sylva, Oscar award-winning American actors, Forest Whitaker and Danny Glover, and a galaxy of Nollywood stars witnessed the home crowd watching bemusedly as Kenya, Egypt and South Africa carted home the major awards of 2009 AMAA, sponsored by the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Bayelsa State government.It was an evening the acclaimed prolific Nollywood went to roost. In fact, a hush fell on the capacity-filled hall as Kenya’s entry, From A whisper stole the show, clinching the Best Picture, Best Original Soundtrack, AMAA Achievement in Editing, Best Director and Best Screenplay diadem. Egyptian actor, Farouk Alfishawi was voted the Best Performer by an Actor in a Leading Role, and the country’s entry, Seventh Heaven had clinched AMAA Achievement in Sound prize.South Africa’s entry, Gugu and Anadile produced the Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Film in African Language, and Most Promising Actor and Actress respectively at the show compered by the irrepressible Julius Agwu, screen diva Kate-Henshaw-Nuttal and Ghana’s Kofi Bucknor.The verdict, to movie aficionados was a vindication of AMAA as a true pan-African movie awards. It was also a wake up call for Nollywood hitherto immersed in self-deceit as Africa’s prime film market. The development may have prompted Nigeria’s ace-cinematographer, Tunde Kelani while receiving the plaque for Heart of Africa Award for Best Films from Nigeria to throw a challenge at the visitors, “I can see that this year, AMAA has introduced real competition to the movie awards. Mark you, we’ll go back to the drawing board and I promise that they won’t have it easy next year.” With that statement, the battle line was drawn between the home industry and it’s counterparts in Africa and in the Diaspora. How strongly Nollywood can respond to this challenge, time would tell. AMAA 2009 recorded the widest continental presence with entries coming from Egypt, South Africa, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, among others. From over 400 entries received, the works were pruned down to 20, listed in the 24 categories vied for in Yenagoa last Saturday.Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, CEO, AMAA, in her opening remarks reminisced on the journey so far in building the AMAA brand. She lauded individuals and corporate Nigerians especially the United Bank for Africa (UBA) that has identified with the organizers since inception.The show also had its sober moment when the organizer paid glowing tributes to some of the fallen Nollywood stars. It was one of the pulsating moments of the awards as the audience rose to their feet to catch glimpses of the deceased on screen. The chief host, Governor Sylva equally reiterated Bayelsa’s commitment to the awards. He stressed that he is looking forward to a time film practitioners would flood the state to shoot films. The governor, who was accompanied to the event by his wife, Alayingi promised to provide movie infrastructure that would make the state attractive to movie investors.


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