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 editorial@newtimes.co.rw
