AMAA 2021 to hold Nov 28

The Africa Film Academy (AFA) has announced that the 17th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) will hold on November 28, 2021, in Lagos.

In a chat with journalists on Wednesday, the organisers of the event also disclosed that the nominee list for this year’s award ceremony will be announced on October 21.

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, founder of the AFA, said that for safety reasons and travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many will not be able to attend the event physically.

Anyiam-Osigwe added that this year’s award ceremony will be a hybrid of both physical and virtual participation while nominees were advised to be fully vaccinated to facilitate their travel to Nigeria.

The AFA founder also announced Steve Oluseyi Ayorinde as the president of the jury for the 2nd consecutive year.

“Hon. Steve Oluseyi Ayorinde served as a Commissioner for Tourism under His Excellency the Governor of Lagos State Akinwunmi Ambode. He is also the Chairman of the Governing Council of AMAA, a position he has held for over ten years,” she said.

“He is a pioneering member of the 17-year-old Africa Movie Academy Awards with a rich background in the film and festival circuit internationally.

“All this and more make him best suited to navigate our Jury process during this fast-changing season in the film industry.”

The academy also said it will launch a new initiative, “100 film project”, which is aimed at training and supporting African creatives.

Speaking on the project, Abiola Durodola said AFA will be training new talent for the film industry which is all-encompassing of the wider creative community and skilled labor like carpenters, tailors, and hairdressers.

“Over the years we have seen the many gaps in the filmmaking process in Nigeria and Africa at large and we have always tailored our initiatives, conversations, and trainings to breach this gap,” Durodola, who is in charge of the project, said.

“One of such gaps that we are breaching is the near-isolation in which the filmmakers work in Africa. 

“To support this process, we have created the 100-film project which we have been crafting for a few years now and is a culmination of a lot of what we have done and still doing. The 100 film project is a platform that uses films to create value for brands, particularly African brands. This is a way for brands to leverage the continued growth of Nigerian films while supporting the creative industry.”