NOMINATION LIST FINALLY REVEALED FOR AMAA 2023

The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) is a subsidiary of the Africa Film Academy. The academy founded on the best film tradition is geared towards research, training and propagating film making in Africa. AMAA was established in 2005, aimed at facilitating the development and relevance of African film and cinema by providing a reward and recognition platform for film makers on the continent. This award is the most prestigious award in Africa, showcasing and rewarding great talents in the film industry. This award is an annual event of the brightest and the best in African movie. This year’s nomination list was recently revealed.

According to Raymond Anyiam-Osigwe, the founder of the event, the ceremony will hold on Sunday, October 29^th, 2023 at the Balmoral event centre situated inside Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.

To begin with, C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi’s Mami Wata takes the lead with 12 nominations including Best Film in an African Language, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Screenplay and Best Director.

Kunle Afolayan’s Netflix Original, Anikulapo comes in second with nine nominations followed by Izu Ojukwu’s period drama, 4:4:44, with eight odds.

The theme of this year’s AMAA’s 2023 event is “The Renaissance” and it will be defining the continental awards ahead of future plans and the 20^th edition.

For the other various nominations, here are they presented below:

EFERE OZAKO AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM

• Lions – Ethiopia
• Riel – Namibia
• Enmity Djin – Mauritania

JUBRIL MALAIFIA AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATION

• Lost – Uganda
• Azania Rises – South Africa
• Jabari – Ghana
• Bashorun Gaa – Nigeria

BEST DOCUMENTARY

• Africa Cradle of Humanity and Modern Civilisation – Senegal/Canada
• Nightlife in Lasgidi – Nigeria
• Maayo Wonaa Keerol – The River Is Not a Border – Senegal
• Ifine (Beauty) – Sierra Leone
• Le Spectre de Boko Haram – Cameroon

OUSMANE SEMBENE AWARD FOR BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE

• Pusha Pressa Phanda – South Africa
• Anikulapo – Nigeria
• The Kitera Chronicle – Uganda
• Four Walls – South Africa
• Mami Wata – Nigeria

MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AWARD FOR BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN-BORN DIRECTOR LIVING ABROAD

• Talia’s Journey – Christophe Rolin (Senegal/Belgium)
• Golden Stripes – Peace Osigbe (Nigeria/UK)
• KOFA – Jude Idada (Nigeria/Canada)

BEST DIASPORA SHORT FILM

• We Were Meant To – (United States) – directed by Tari Wariebi
• The Ballad of Olive Morris – (United Kingdom) – directed by Alex Kayode-Kay
• FiWy-Four Days – (United Kingdom) – directed by Cat White and Phoebe Torrance
• Raw Materials – (Jamaica – directed by Sosiessia Nixon-Kelly

BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY

• Sound of the Police – (United States) – directed by Stanley Nelson
• FantasHco Negrito – Have You Lost Your Mind Yet – (United States) – directed by Yvan Iturriaga and Francisco Nuñez
• Black Rio – (Brazil) directed by Fernando Sousa and Gabriel Barbosa

BEST DIASPORA NARRATIVE FEATURE

• Chee$e – (Trinidad & Tobago) directed by Damian Marcano
• Our Father, The Devil – (United States) directed by Ellie Foumbi
• The Pastor and the Revolutionary – (Brazil) directed by José Eduardo Belmonte

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN

• Pat Nebo – Anikulapo – Nigeria
• Eve Martin – Omen – DRC
• Sira – Burkina Faso
• Antoine Nshimiyimana – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• Chantel Carter – Gereza – South Africa

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

• Bunmi Demilola Fashina – Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Toyin Bifarin Ogundeji – Anikulapo – Nigeria
• Millicent Jack – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Djibril Drame – Xalé – Senegal • Elkehoste and Baloji Omen – DRC
• Sidi Ouedraogo Sira – Burkina Faso

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP

• Campell Precious Arebamen – Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Hakeem Effect and Toyin Bifarin Ogundeji – Anikulapo – Nigeria
• Lila Vander Elst – Omen – DRC
• Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
• Omowunmi Okungbure – Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK

• Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• L’Axe Lourd (The Highway) – Cameroon
• Gereza – South Africa
• Omen – DRC
• Obinna Arua – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS

• Andrej Gregori, Voranc Kumar, Ziga Radulji -Omen – DRC
• Alexandre Dachkevitch – Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Josh Borrill – The Trade – Nigeria
• Emmanuel Bassey – Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

• Juliana Oswald – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
• Vianney Aube Sira – Burkina Faso
• Erik Griekspoor – Omen – DRC
• Samy Bardet – Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Michel Tsagli – Xalé – Senegal

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Lilis Soares – Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Joachim Philippe – Omen – DRC
• Richard Henkels – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• Thomas Wilski – Talia’s Journey – Senegal/Belgium
• Eduardo Kropotkine – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING

• Nathan Delannoy – Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Bertrand Conard – Omen – DRC
• Sylvie Gadner – Sira – Burkina Faso
• Layla Swart – Gereza
• Madhew Leutwyler – Fight Like a Girl

BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREENPLAY

• J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi – Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Ufuoma MeHHri – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Moussa Sene Absa, Pierre Magny, Ben Diogay Beye – Xalé – Senegal
• Madhew Leutwyler – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

NATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO CENSORS BOARD (NFVB) AWARD FOR BEST NIGERIAN FILM

• Mami Wata
• Anikulapo
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four)
• Gangs of Lagos
• The Trade
• I.F.E.
• Brotherhood

BEST YOUNG/PROMISING ACTOR

• Maleek Sanni – Gangs of Lagos
• Ewube -L’axe Lourd (The Highway)
• Darisimi Nadi – Obara’m
• Sanou Titiama – Le chant des fesits (The Song of the Rifle)
• Eyiyemi Afolayan – Anikulapo

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Francis Onwuchei – The Trade – Nigeria
• Jeff Jackson – Four Walls – South Africa
• Hakeem Kae-Kazim – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• Jimmy-Jean Louis – Rise

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Uzoamaka Aniunoh – Mami Wata – Nigeria
• Rokhaya Niang – Xalé – Senegal
• Clarck Natmbwe -Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda
• Peter Mensah – Rise – United States

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

• Richard Mofe Damijo – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Marc Zunga – Omen – DRC
• Fenando Kamugisha – The Fallen Advocate – Uganda
• Tobi Bakre – Brotherhood – Nigeria
• Justine Murichii – Shimoni – Kenya
• Mike Danon – Sira – Burkina Faso

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

• Lucie Debay – Omen – DRC
• Ehle Mbali Mlotshwa – 4 Walls – South Africa
• Nafissatou Sisse – Sira – Burkina Faso
• Adesua Etomi – Gangs of Lagos – Nigeria
• Nse Ikpe EHm – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) – Nigeria
• Bimbo Ademoye – Anikulapo – Nigeria
• Ama Qamata – Fight Like a Girl – Rwanda

FIRST DEBUT FEATURE BY A DIRECTOR

• Baloji – Omen – DRC
• Ery Claver – Our Lady of the Chinese Shop – Angola
• Jean Elliot Ilboudo (le Chant des fusils) The Song of the Riffle – Cameroon

BEST DIRECTOR

• Moussa Sene Absa – Xalé
• J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi – Mami Wata
• Baloji – Omen
• Apolline Traore – Sira
• Izu Ojukwu – 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four)
• Kunle Afolayan – Anikulapo
• Kgosana Monchusi, Menzi Mzimela, Juvaiś Dunn – 4 Walls

BEST FILM

• Xalé- Senegal
• Mami Wata – Nigeria
• 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) Nigeria
• Omen – DRC
• 4 Walls – South Africa
• Sira – Burkina Faso
• Anikulapo – Nigeria

Delia Nyadi