Editor

The Africa Movie Academy Awards and the Niger Delta Film Festival

The annual African Movie Academy Awards, which take place annually in Bayelsa, Nigeria, are currently open for submissions from African filmmakers. The closing date of submissions is December 30th, 2006,

(PRWEB) October 29, 2006 -- What constitutes a great African film? Is it the storyline, on a continent where so often, the retelling of our stories has not been in African hands? Is it the technical brilliance of the production, within an environment of miniscule budgets and poor resources? Is it the skill of the actors, in a situation where training facilities for the arts are not prioritized by governments and the private sector?

These are the challenges that African filmmakers grapple with in their daily work, and the same questions are facing the judging panel at the African Movie Academy Awards, currently gearing up for the third edition of the event.

The annual African Movie Academy Awards, which take place annually in Bayelsa, Nigeria, are currently open for submissions from African filmmakers. The closing date of submissions is December 30th, 2006, and entries can be forwarded to the AMAA offices at the following contacts:

10A, Oba Ladejobi Street,
GRA, Ikeja,
Lagos, Nigeria.
Tel: (092341) 8917147

Executive producer of the Awards, Peace Anyiam, is optimistic about this years edition of the event, and eager that the event receive entries from as many African nations as possible "Film has become an increasingly popular medium through which Africans tell their stories" she comments "For too long, the African story has been interpreted by the West, and served up to us as our 'reality'. For the African filmmakers who take the brave and often thankless task of addressing this imbalance, it's crucial that a resource such as AMAA exists – remember, it's not just about the awards! We have a 3 day training and workshop series before the awards which are meant to act as a resource, a networking opportunity and opportunity for African filmmakers to access information and make contacts."

Indeed, the workshops are at the heart of the AMAA programme; an empowering and informative series of discussions around issues that are topical and central to the process of African filmmaking. The event also encompasses a film festival where movies from across the continent are shown over two days.

The awards, established to reward excellence in African filmmaking have attracted filmmakers from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Senegal, Kenya, Namibia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Gambia, Nigeria and Ghana in their three year history. In terms of criterion for entry, eligibility is based on:
Film must be created by an African filmmaker and support production crew Must have been made between November 30th 2005 and December 1, 2006

The categories are:
Best Picture
Best Director
Best Actor in Lead Role
Best Actor in Supporting Role
Best Actress in Lead Role
Best Actress in Supporting Role

Best Upcoming
Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Sound
Best Edit
Best Performance by a Child
Best Indigenous Film
Best Achievement in Make-Up
Best Marketer/Distributor
Best Visual Effect
Most Original Sound Track
Best Achievement in Costume
Best Documentary Feature
Veteran Award
Posthumous Award
Outstanding Contribution Award
African Pride Award

Sponsored by Virgin Nigeria, Celtel, Dana Motors the State of BAYELSA, the Awards are also defined by that hallmark of the film industry – glamour! Flamboyance, bling, and sheerstar-power, African stye, will be the order of the day at the event when Africa's finest turn out to recognize one anothers efforts in film. With the home-ground proximity advantage, Nollywood royalty have made the AMAA's a definite must-do within their event calendars, and actors from across the world have also attended, as evinced by diva's Vivica A.Fox and Rosie Motene's attendance at the 2006 awards.

Hollywood greats Danny Glover and Louis Gosset Junior have also been hosted by the AMAA's, in 2005 and 2006 respectively, lending their support to the annual celebration of African film. The African Movie Academy Awards is the product of the African Film Academy, a Nigerian based film association that focuses on training, research and networking for African filmmakers. The third year of the awards certainly promise to live up to the events aim of celebrating, rewarding and supporting African filmmakers.

"We urge African filmmakers to submit their product for this years awards" Peace Anyiam continues "The Awards are as great as we African filmmakers make them. The more films we receive, the higher the standards, and the higher the stakes. This ceremony belongs to ALL African moviemakers, and they should take ownership of it. Ultimately, AMAA should be the awards ceremony that every African filmmaker, actors, editors, make-up artists, and musicians look to for
affirmation!"

Check out more information on the awards on
www.Ama-Awards.com