AFRICAN MOVIES VIEWERS CHOICE AWARDS

OLU JACOBS AND JOKE SILVA

JAY JAY OKOCHA AND NKECHI OKOCHA

NIGERIAN screen talents, on Saturday night, clinched eight out of the 23 awards up for grabs at the inaugural African Movies Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), held at the Eko Exhibition Centre in the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The event, organised by Multichoice and sponsored by Amstel Malta started with a pre-event red carpet that saw the stars dazzling, flaunting the finest continental fashion. What’s more, with a team of on-air personalities. Among them was Big Brother Stargame winner, Uti Nwachukwu, and  Nic Wang’ondu alongside Eku Edewor, Dolapo Oni, Sarah Hassan and Helen Paul, capturing all the glamour of the gala event, and the continent’s glitterati rubbing shoulders.  
Set in 1989, Otelo Burning, produced and directed by South African Sara Blecher and tells the story of a group of township kids, who discovered the joy of surfing, led the pack with four awards, while Obi Omelonye’s The Mirror Boy and Akin Omotosho’s Man on Ground won three awards apiece.
Despite losing out in the hotly-contested ‘Best Movie Overall’ (Skeem) category and the ‘Best Television Series’ (The XYZ Show) category to South Africa and Kenya, respectively, Nigerian thespians did not fail to impress, as Mercy Johnson and Hafiz Oyetoro bagged the awards’ categories for comedy.
Also, in the area of technology, the AMVCA was believed to have been dominated by South Africa, a fact which Joke Silva, admitted in a chat with the Nigerian Tribune, but quickly remarked that it was not an indication that South Africa dominated the overall awards.
Another interesting note about the awards was the interconnectedness and interplay of the African creative ventures in movie-making as evident in the nationalities of the winners for each movie in some cases, making it difficult to label a movie Nigerian or South African, for example.
Commenting on the awards, M-Net Africa Managing Director, Biola Alabi, said, “it has been a wonderful night. Fantastic performers, glittering fashion, deserving winners; it has been a night of huge excitement and emotion. Most importantly, it’s been a true celebration of African film and television, a fitting platform for the stars of our continent, both in front and behind the cameras.”
On behalf of Amstel Malta, Walter Drenth Marketing Director Nigerian Breweries Plc, said, “We are deeply pleased to be at the forefront of this spectacular event that celebrates truly talented individuals whose valuable contribution to the African film and television landscape is immeasurable.”
Accomplished veteran actor, Olu Jacobs, was named as the recipient of the Industry Merit Award, while Ivie Okujaye was named the Trailblazer of the Year.

Below is the full list of  AMVCA winners 2013
 
Winners at the maiden edition of the African Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCA) 2013
Best Costume Designer – Ngozi Obasi (The Mirror Boy)
Best make up Artiste – Jacgui Bannermen (Otele Burning)
Best Art Director – Anita Van Hermet & Chantel Carter (Otelo Burning)
Best Lighting Design – Dave Howe (Otele Burning)
Best Cinematography – Paul Michelson (Man on Ground)
Best Writer in a Comedy – Tim Greene (Skeem)
Best Local Language Swahili – Sameer Srivastava (The Ray of Hope)
Best Local Language Hausa – A. Ali and Hafizu Bello (Faida Nura)
Best Local Language Yoruba – Tunde Kelani (Maami)
Best Television Series – Godfrey & Marie Lora-Mungai (The XYZ Show)
Best writer Drama – Precious & Amaka Obi Emelonye. (The Mirror Boy)
Best Short Film – Ngendo mukii (Yellow Fever)
Best Actress in a Comedy – Mercy Johnson (Dumebi the Dirty Girl)
Best Actor In A Comedy – Hafiz Oyetoro (House Apart)
Best Supporting Actress In A Drama – Maureen Koech (Lies that Bind)
Best Supporting Actor In A Drama – Mathew Nabwiso (A Good Catholic Girl)
Best Actress In A Drama – Jackie Appiah (Perfect Picture)
Best Actor In A Drama – O.C Ukeje (Two Brides And A Baby)
Best Movie Director – Akin Omotoso (Man On Ground)
Best Comedy Movie – Tim Greene (Skeem)
Best Movie In A Drama – Obi Emelonye (The Mirror Boy)
Best Movie Overall – Othelo Burning by Sara Blecher.