AMAA 2013: Late Esiri, Florence Maseba clinch best Actor, Actress

Late Nollywood actor, Justus Esiri of Nigeria has emerged Best Actor in a leading role with his female counterpart, Florence Maseba of SouthAfrica as Best Actress in this year’s Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, which was held at Gloryland cultural centre in Yenagoa, theBayelsa State capital.

Nigeria clinched 13 out of the 27 categories of the awards, followed by South Africa with 4 awards. Belinda Effah, who featured in a movie titled, Kokoma won in the category of Best Promising actor while

best director goes to Niyi Akanni courtesy of the movie, ‘Heroes and Zeros.’

Kweku Ananse of Ghana won Best Short Film and Best Animation was won by a South African film, titled Adventures of ‘Zambezi’ while Haitiand United States of America clinched Best Diaspora Feature Award with the movie, ‘Stones In The Sun.’

Chief Pete Edochie and Tunde Kelani were among recipients of the AMAA Lifetime achievement Awards while the documentary titled, ‘Fueling Poverty’ was rated the best in the documentary category.

The colourful event, which came to a halt at about 4.00 a.m. on Sunday morning, was attended by Bayelsa State governor, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, Rivers State Deputy governor, Engineer Tele Ikuru, who stood in for Governor Rotimi Ameachi, Minister of Culture and Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lulu Loius Nmguni as well as Ministers and family members of Malawian President, Joyce Banda.

Speaking at the event, President Goodluck Jonathan announced thefederal government’s new partnership with United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), on provision of technical and financial support for the tourism industry as well as establishing an under Water Research and Imaging Centre in Bayelsa state.

President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Cultureand Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke, at the 9th edition of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA)’ held in Yenagoa, announced the sum of N25million for the proposed Yenagoa Film City and the quick release of  N3 billion earlier pledged to the movie industry.

Jonathan urged the movie industry to focus more on telling stories that portray Africa in its proper perspective and commended the industry for collaborating with other African countries to tell stories across borders.

Also speaking at the event, governor Seriake Dickson announced the inauguration of a Bayelsa State Indigenous Movie Trust Fund with an initial donation of N250 million for the development of budding talents, which would be managed by persons from within and outside the state.

He described the entertainment industry, especially Nollywood as a major employer of labour and a medium for cultural exchange and a tool for rebranding the country and continent.

Governor Dickson congratulated Nollywood for the feat of one of its stars, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde as one of the 100 most influential personalities in the world by the Time Magazine, describing it as a stamp of global approval for the movie industry in the country.

As a way of acknowledging the contributions of the Nollywood stars, the Bayelsa state Governor also said government would make available plots of land to deserving stars who would be required to build befitting residential accommodation and take advantage of the facilities that would be provided at the proposed Yenagoa Film City.

In his remarks, President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma said his country shares in the aspirations and struggles of Nigeria and the entire African continent to eradicate poverty and marginalization as well as create a better Africa and a more cohesive world.