Rwandan filmmakers will have to wait a little longer to feature among the continent’s best, with the most recent blow being falling short of making it to the 2018 Africa Movie Academy Awards nominations.
This has yet again raised questions as to whether the quality of Rwanda’s films and the content of their films simply doesn’t appeal to audiences beyond Rwandan borders
The 2018 AMAA nominees were unveiled by the AMAA Board of Jurors on Friday night during the invite-only nominations announcement event held at The Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, and Lagos.
The annual continental film awards are organised by Africa Film Academy.
The winners for this year’s AMAAs will be announced during an awards ceremony slated for September 22 at Radisson Blu Hotel Convention Centre, Kigali.
This year, the Awards jury received over 500 films submissions, each had to be watched and watched again by the jury.
"Every film submitted to the jury for consideration for the awards must be watched from the beginning to the end,” said Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, the AMAAwards founder.
The nominees were announced in 27 categories as follows:
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Seun Ajayi – Ojukokoro Lionel Newton – Pop Lock ‘N’ Roll Akah Nani – Banana Island Ghost Richard Lukunku – Lucky Specials Gideon Okeke – Cross Roads
AMAA 2018- AYIAM OSIGWE FOUNDATION Award for Best Nigerian Film
Cross Roads In My Country Isoken Hotel Called Memory Ojukokoro Lost Café Icheke Oku
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Young/Promising Actor
Patrick Dibuah – Banana Island Ghost Austin Enabulele – In My Country Cindy Sanyu – Bella Anine Lansari – The Blessed Vost (Les Bienheureux) Maurice Paige – Pop Lock ‘N’ Roll Nichole Ozioma Banna – Icheke Oku Zainab Balogun – Sylva
TONY ELUMELU AMAA 2018 Award for Best Comedy
Sidechic Gang – Ghana Banana Island Ghost – Nigeria The Adventures Of Supermama – South Africa Koko: The Box TV – Nigeria
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Kate Henshaw- Roti Reine Swart – Siembamba Okawa Shaznay –In My Country Dakore Egbuson – Isoken Nana Ama McBrown, Lydia Forson and Sika Osei – Sidechic Gang Mariam Phiri – The Road To Sunrise Tunde Aladese – Lost Café Joselyn Dumas – Potato Potahto
AMAA 2018 Award for the Best First Feature Film by a Director
My Mothers Story –Flora Suya- Malawi Ogwuetiti Obiuto – Onyeka Nwelue – Nigeria Five Fingers for Marseilles- Michael Mathews- South Africa Isoken – Jadesola Osiberu- Nigeria 18 Hours – Njue Kevin – Kenya Banana Island Ghost – BB Sasore- Nigeria The Blessed Vost – Sefia Djama – Algeria
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Director
Jade Osiberu – Isoken Michael Mathews- Five Fingers For Marseilles Frank Rajah Arase – In My Country Safia Djama- The Blessed Vost Oluseyi Siwoku – Cross Roads Shemu Joyah- Road to Sunshine Darrell Roodt- Siembamba Akin Omotosho- Hotel Called Memory Peter Kofi Sedufia – Sidechic Gang The Lost Café – Kenneth Gyang
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Film
Isoken – Nigeria Five Fingers For Marseilles – South Africa In My Country – Nigeria The Blessed Vost- Algeria Cross Roads – Nigeria Road to Sunshine – Malawi Siembamba – South Africa Hotel Called Memory – Nigeria Sidechic Gang – Ghana Lost Café – Kenneth Gyang
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Sika Osei – In Line Sivenathi Mabuya – Lucky Specials Rahama Sadau – Hakkunde Toyin Abraham- Esohe Joke Silva – Potato Potahto
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Vuyo Dabula – Five Fingers For Marseille Richard Mofe Damijo – Cross Roads
Sam Dede – In My Country
Sani Bouajla – The Blessed Vost
OC Ukeje – Potato Potahto Chris Attoh – Esohe Oros Mampofu – Lucky Specials Frank Donga – Hakkunde
MICHAEL ANYIAM OSIGWE AMAA 2018 Award for Best Film by an African living abroad
Minister – Nigeria/Italy Alexandra – Nigeria/USA Low Lifes And High Hopes – Nigeria/Austria
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Diaspora Short
Torments of Love (Guadeloupe) Baby Steps (USA) Intercept (USA)
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Diaspora Documentary
Evolutionary Blues (USA) Barrows: Freedom Fighter (Barbados) Sammy Davis Jr. – I’ve Got To Be Me (USA)
EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2018 award for Best Short Film
Dem Dem – Senegal/Belgium Zenith – Cameroun/USA It Rains on Ouga – Burkina Faso In Shadows – Kenya Coat of Harm – Nigeria Tikitat Soulima – Morocco Nice, Very Nice – Algeria Visions (Shaitan, Buruja, Brood) – Nigeria Fallou – Senegal Still Water Runs Deep – Nigeria/USA
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Animation
Group Photo – Nigeria Belly Flop – South Africa Untitled – Ghana Crush – Nigeria
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Documentary
Bigger Than Africa – Nigeria/USA Winnie – South Africa Boxing Libreville – Gabon Silas – South Africa/Kenya When Babies Don’t Come – South Africa Uncertain Future – Burundi We Came In Sprint Carts – South Africa
OUSMANE SEMBENE AMAA 2018 Award for Best Film in an African Language
Mansoor – Nigeria Five Fingers For Marseilles – South Africa Icheke Oku – Nigeria Agwaetiti Obiuto – Nigeria Nyasaland – Malawi Tunu – Tanzania
AMAA 2018 Award for Best Diaspora Narrative Feature
Angelica (Puerto Rico)
Love Jacked (Canada)
Charlie: La Vie Magnifique Charlie (USA)
AMAA 2018 Award for Achievement in Production Design
Kada River
Five Fingers For Marseille
Tatu
In My Country
Cross Roads
AMAA 2018 Achievement in Costume Design
Icheke Oku
Cross Roads
Esohe
Five Fingers For Marseille
Isoken
AMAA 2018 Award for Achievement in Make-up
Siembamba
Icheke Oku
Five Fingers For Marseille
Esohe
The Road To Sunshine
AMAA 2018 Award for Achievement in Soundtrack
The Road To Sunshine
Tatu
Hotel Called Memory
Isoken
Siembamba
AMAA 2018 Award for Achievement in Visual Effect
Siembamba
Icheke Oku
Lucky Specials
Esohe
Kada River
AMAA 2018 Award for Achievement in Sound
The Lost Café
The Road To Sunshine
Hotel Called Memory
Pop Lock ‘N’ Roll
Sidechic Gang
AMAA 2018 Award for Achievement in Cinematography
The Road To Sunshine
Five Fingers For Marseille
The Lost Café
The Blessed Vost (Les Bienheureux)
Siembamba
AMAA 2018 Award for Achievement in Editing
Hotel Called Memory
Pop Lock ‘N’ Roll
Lucky Specials
The Blessed Vost (Les Bienheureux)
Siembamba
AMAA 2018 Award for Achievement in Screenplay
The Women
Potato Potahto
Ojukokoro
Five Fingers For Marseille
Hakkunde
The Lost Café
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