AFRICAN MOVIE ACADEMY AWARDS REAPPOINTS KEITH SHIRI AS PRESIDENT OF THE JURY FOR ITS 19TH EDITION

Oluwa Keith Shiri is a Zimbabwean film curator born on April 27^th 1967, who has been based in Beirut, Lebanon and in London. He has been advisor to several film festivals and is also founding juror at the African Movie Academy Awards.

The Board of the Africa Film Academy (AFA), and organisers of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), have announced the re-appointment of UK-based international film curator and programme advisor, Keith Shiri as president of the Jury for the 2023 19^th edition of the premier and most reputable film awards in Africa.

In 2022, he presided over the 12-man board of internationals jurors for the awards and same thing has been done this 2023 as he is still president of the jury.

Keith returns again to lead respected curators, and renowned filmmakers and critics that makeup the AMAA Jury, to decide nominees and eventual winners in the 26 categories of the 2023 AMAA’s awards scheduled to hold in Lagos this coming October 2023.

Announcing on behalf of the board of the Africa Film Academy (AFA), the organisers of the AMAA, Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe said, « We are very excited to welcome Keith Shiri back as President of Jury for 2023. AMAA has a tradition where Jurors have an opportunity to preside over the jury for two editions running. So we are sustaining that tradition by further extending the tenure of Keith Shiri, who is a founding juror at the AMAA and a promoter of African art and film as the president of the AMAA 2023 Jury. Keith’s experience and vast knowledge of African films which has spanned over three decades coupled with his expertise which has seen him serve in different international organisations made him a great fit for this position… ».

Reacting to the news of his re-appointment, Keith who is presently curating the icons of the Africa Centre Series for the legendary London-based cultural institution thanked the AFA board for his re-appointment but gave his sad notice as he will preside over the jury without the founder and CEO Peace Anyiam-Osigwe.

Members of the AMAA jury include international film curator and programmer for the Berlin International Film Festival Dorothee Wenner, film curator and archivist June Giviani, Burkinabe-Swiss-born filmmaker Berni Goldblat, ambassador and former Burkina Faso Minister of Culture Phillipe Savadego, and filmmaker John Akomfrah.

The jury will sort through the 368 entries received so far for this year’s award. According to the selection committee chairman, Dr Shaibu Husseini, the nominations will be announced on September 20, 2023.

Delia Nyadi