AMAA Awards Gets International support

Even before the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Africa’s most celebrated movie awards ceremony hits the continent this year, latest information reveals that giant international film academies are falling for the awards for no less a reason than the feats it has attained over the years.

One of the academies is the European Film Academy (EFA).

The Academy, 'Beatwaves' sources confirmed, has joined the AMAA jury for this year’s event. It has also endorsed AMAA as a credible awards ceremony, hence the decision to be part of it.

Founded in 1988, the European Film Academy unites more than 2,300 European film professionals with the common aim of promoting Europe’s film culture. An AMAA insider said the Academy was impressed by the kind of movies that were awarded at AMAAs every year. Anytime those movies make it into international film festivals, they prove to be very good movies, as they don’t just win other recognitions but rub shoulders with other recognized international movies.

Movies such as ‘From A Whisper’ (Kenya), ‘Run Baby Run’ (Ghana), ‘The Figurine’ (Nigeria), ‘The Tenant’ (Nigeria) are a few of the movies that went through AMAA and caused a stir at international film festivals including the Rotterdam Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and more.

That, for the Academy, was enough evidence that the awards ceremony did not just honour any kind of movie.

It has to a large extent got credibility, hence the EFA’s interest.

Last year’s AMAA was described by the BBC as Africa’s Oscar. It is not clear where this year’s event will take place but as usual, it is expected to bring the crème de la crème of African cinema under one roof. “The stakes are high this year,” the source said.

The award’s jury, which is made up of selected high movie intellectuals across Africa, is working without any interference from the organizers of the event. The jury has received over 300 entries from various African countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and more. Ghana’s fate currently lies in 30 movies.

Different screening processes were held to select the best movies in different countries. A third stage screening process by the jury, 'Beatwaves' was told, is currently ongoing at secret a location in Ghana to further select the very best movies. After this, the final selection will be done in Europe.