Ghanaian movies earn many 2010 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) nominations

Two of my favorite movies ever, Shirley Frimpong-Manso's Perfect Picture and Leila Djansi's I Sing Of a Well (ISOAW) have been nominated for multiple categories at the 2010 Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). The nominations party was held in Accra, Ghana on March 6th. I have been a huge fan of (great) African movies recently and can't wait to see some of these movies. It's great to see the African movie industry blossoming, with actors and actresses acting in different countries, African cinema spreading to different nations, burgeoning sales in African film and respectable awards ceremonies.

Shirley had two movies nominated, Perfect Picture and "A Sting In a Tale" (ASIAT). Perfect Picture is still one of the best Ghanaian movies ever made imho and deserves to win a couple of awards. It's funny how the three leading ladies in the movie, Jackie, Lydia and Naa all got nominated for Best Actress - together. Who does that? This would surely lower the reputation of the AMAA's. They couldn't adjudge the best actress and had to divide a single nomination amongst three ladies? Adjetey Anang is one of the best actors in Ghana and I don't see how Naa gets a nomination for Best Actress and he gets a nomination for best supporting actor. #FAIL. Doris Sackitey was nominated for best supporting actress for her role in ASIAT. For those of you who taught it was a bad movie, think again!

In spite of all the controversy Heart of Men (HOM) generated, I thought it was a great movie when I watched it and it gained some nominations as well. Majid Michel declared it was his best movie, but I think he acted even better in Sin of the Soul (SOTS), and surely he won a best actor nomination for his work in there. John Dumelo (for his role in HOM) and Martha Ankomah (for hers in SOTS) were both nominated for most promising actor (and actress). I surely agree with Martha's nomination but I don't think Dumelo was that awesome in HOM. What about our favorite Ghanaian English movies from Venus Films? A single nomination for "The King is Mine" in the Best Make-Up category. This nomination makes too much sense. :-)

ISOAW is arguably better than The Perfect Picture. Many Africans have not seen the movie but now they will pay attention. Akofa Adjeani-Asiedu and JOT Agyeman earned nominations for Best Actress and Actor respectively and Godwin Kotey earned one for Best Supporting Actor. Thorougly deserved. That movie was directed so well and scored! I can't wait for it to be on VCD DVD so African movie lovers can own it and see the difference. You should read my interview with the director, Leila, here. She's awesome. I guess King Ampaw's No Time to Die was ineligible this year. That movie is one of the best from Ghana in recent years. I've seen it and once I see it again the review will be on this blog.

For the non-Ghanaian movies, I really want to see Figurine from Nigeria and Imani from Uganda. Someone please make it happen. I wonder why District 9 and White Wedding from South Africa didn't get any nominations, because they are as good as some of the movies I've watched. Well, guess what, while people were partying in Accra waiting for AMAA nominations, District 9 was busy looking forward to winning Oscars. "Datsramete". "That's right". Maybe next time.

Here is the full list of nominees; and in bold is who I hope would/should win since I haven't seen all the movies.

BEST DOCUMENTARY
1. Wanba Ngoma (Tanzania)
2. Peace Wanted Alive (Kenya)
3. Bariga Boys(Nigeria)
4. En quette d'identite (Burkina Faso)
5. Innovating for Africa (Nigeria)

BEST SHORT FILM
1. Mahala -(Mozambique)
2. The Abbys Boys -(South Africa)
3. The Painter - (Uganda)
4. Suara La - (Nigeria)
5. The Camera -(Nigeria)

BEST ANIMATION
1. Hanayns Shoe (Egypt)
2. Adventure of Alayo (Nigeria)
3. Zoodo (Burkina Faso)
4. Lyrics (Algeria)
5. One Step of Love (Algeria)

BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN FILMMAKER IN DIASPORA
1. Soul Diaspora
2. Okra Principle
3. China Wahala
4. Crunch

BEST FILM IN AFRICAN LANGUAGE
1. Omo Iya Kan (Nigeria)
2. Aldeweden (Ethiopia)
3. Togetherness Supreme (Kenya)
4. Imani (Uganda)
5. Game of my life (South Africa)

HEART OF AFRICA AWARD FOR BEST FILM FROM NIGERIA
1. Nnenda by Izu Ojukwu
2. Freedom in Chain by Bond Emeruwa and Fred Amata
3. The Child by Izu Ojukwu
4. Figurine by Kunle Afolayan
5. High Blood Pressure by Teco Benson

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
1. The Tenant
2. Season of a life
3. Perfect Picture
4. I sing of a well
5. Soul Diaspora

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING
1. Season of a life
2. The Child
3. Perfect Picture
4. Heart of Men
5. Lilies of the Ghetto

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
1. I sing of a well
2. Fulani
3. The Child
4. Figurine
5. Imani

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP
1. Heart of Men
2. The Child
3. The King is Mine
4. I sing of a well
5. Fulani

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME
1. Perfect Picture
2. Prince's bride
3. The Child
4. I sing of a well
5. Lilies of the Ghetto

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECT
1. The Child
2. Figurine
3. A sting in a tale
4. Fulani
5. Heart of Men

Best ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
1. Seasons of a life
2. Imani
3. A sting in a tale
4. The Child
5. Figurine

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A CHILD ACTOR
1. Teddy Onyago and Bill Oloo- Togetherness Supreme
2. Tobi Oboli - The Figurine
3. Feyisola Ewulomi - Champions of our Time
4. Treasure Obasi - Champions of our Time
5. Mfanafuthi Magudulela - Game of my life

MOST PROMISING ACTRESS
1. Martha Kisaka - Togetherness Supreme
2. Chelsea Eze - Silent Scandal
3. Martha Ankomah - Sins of the Soul
4. Ashionye Michelle Ugboh- Jungle Ride
5. Rahema Nanfuka - Imani

MOST PROMISING ACTOR
1. Wilson Maina - Togetherness Supreme (Kenya)
2. Wale Ojo - The Child (Nigeria)
3. John Dumelo - Heart of men (Ghana)
4. Pethro Tumba Mbole - A game of my life (South Africa)
5. Sunny Chikezie - Lilies of the Ghetto (Nigeria)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
1. Godwin Kotey- I sing of a well
2. Francis Duru - Nnenda
3. Yemi Blaq - High Blood Pressure
4. Adjetey Anang - The Perfect Picture

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
1. Doris Sackitey - A sting in a Tale
2. Funlola Aoifeyebi-Raimi - Figurine
3. Tapiwa Gwaza - Seasons of a life
4. Yvonne Nelson - Heart of Men

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
1. Bimbo Akintola- Freedom in Chains
2. Jackie Appiah, Lydia Forson and Naa Ashorkor Mensah-Doku - The Perfect Picture
3. Stephanie Okereke- Nnenda
4. Flora Suya - Season of a life
5. Akofa Edjeani Asiedu - I sing of a well

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
1. Lucky Ejim - The Tenant
2. Majid Michael - Sin of a soul
3. Ramsey Noah - The Figurine
4. Odera Ozoka - Soul Diaspora
5. John Osei Tutu Agyeman - I Sing of a well

BEST SCREENPLAY
1. Season of a life
2. The Tenant
3. Freedom In chains
4. Guilty Pleasure
5. I sing of a well

AMAA ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. The Perfect Picture
2. Figurine
3. I sing of a well
4. The Child
5. The Tenant

BEST PICTURE
1. Seasons of a life (Malawi)
2. The tenant (Nigeria)
3. The Perfect Picture (Ghana)
4. The Figurine (Nigeria)
5. I sing of a well (Ghana)

BEST DIRECTOR
1. Shemu Joyah - Seasons of a life
2. Shirley Frimpong-Manso - The Perfect Picture
3. Kunle Afolayan - Figurine
4. Leila Jewel Djansi - I sing of a well