Uganda Misses Out on AMA Award This Year
The 19th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards took place on Sunday, October 29, 2023, at the Balmoral Convention Centre in Ikeja, Lagos. The event was hosted by Nancy Isime, Rahama Sadau, and Richard Ato Turkson. Despite receiving three nominations in various categories, Uganda failed to secure a win in any of them.
In the Jubril Malaifia Award for Best Animation, Mulima Ashiraf's "Lost Animation" lost to Ghana's "Jabari." In the Best Film In An African Language category, Yiga Sadat's The Kitara Chronicles failed to win in a category won by Nigeria's "Anukalupo." Furthermore, Fernando Kamugisha was nominated in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category for "The Fallen Advocate," but the Award went to Nigeria's Tobi Bakre, who starred in "Brotherhood."
As we predicted in our previous article, Senegal's Xalé, Nigeria's Mami Wata, and Nigeria's Anikulapo emerged as big winners in this year's edition of the AMAs.
Just as we had anticipated, Senegal's Moussa Sene Absa's Xalé claimed four awards, including the overall Best Film, surpassing several other outstanding films that also secured other awards. Mami Wata, who had been nominated in 12 categories, walked away with three awards, including Best Film in Nigeria. 4-4-44 (Four Four Forty-Four) received one award, and Anikulapo secured two.
Here is the complete list of winners:
Efere Ozaka Award For Best Short Film
• Lions (Ethiopia) – Winner
• Riel (Namibia)
• Enmity Djin (Mauritania)
Jubril Malaifia Award For Best Animation
- Lost (Uganda)
- Azania Rises (South Africa)
- Jabari (Ghana) – Winner
- Bashorum Gaa (Nigeria)
Best Documentary
• Africa Cradle of Humanity and Modern Civilization (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) – Winner
Ousmane Sembene Award For Best Film In An African Language
• Pusha Pressa Phanda (South Africa)
• Anikulapo (Nigeria) – Winner
• 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 (Senegal/Belgium) – Christophe Rolin
• Golden Stripes (Nigeria/UK) – Peace Osigbe
• KOFA (Nigeria/Canada) – Jude Idada – Winner
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
• Fifty-Four Days (United Kingdom) – directed by Cat White and Phoebe Torrance
• Raw Materials (Jamaica) – Directed by Sosiessia Nixon – Winner
Best Diaspora Documentary
• Sound of the Police (United States) – Directed by Stanley Nelson – Winner
• Fantastico 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
• Cheese (Trinidad & Tobago) – directed by Damian Marcano
• Our Father, The Devil (United States) – Directed by Ellie Foumbi – Winner
• The Pastor and the Revolutionary (Brazil) – directed by José Eduardo Belmonte
Best Achievement in Production Design
• Pat Nebo – Anikulapo – Nigeria – Winner
• 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 – Winner
• Elkehoste and Baloji Omen – DRC
• Sidi Ouedraogo Sira – Burkina Faso