Film News South Africa

AMAA 2021: Gravedigger's Wife, Ayinla and Omo Ghetto: The Saga secure multiple nominations

The Africa Film Academy, organisers of the premier and prestigious movie award, have announced the list of nominees for the 17th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA). The AMAA 2021 nominations announcement was held at the Ebony Life Place in Lagos, Nigeria on Friday, 26 October 2021.
Source: @AMAAwards on .
Source: @AMAAwards on Twitter.


While announcing the nominees for the 26 categories, the head of jury honourable Steve Ayorinde said movies were submitted from different countries of the continent. He also noted that the 2021 list of nominees reflects the brilliance of filmmakers across the continent.

Among the nominees, the film Gravedigger’s Wife from Somalia received the most nominations with 10, including nominations in categories like award for best film in African Language, award for best actor in a leading role and best director. Movies like Nyara (Tanzania), Omo Ghetto: The Saga (Nigeria), Eyimofe (Nigeria), African American (South Africa) and Ayinla (Nigeria) also received multiple nominations.

Nigerian actress and Big Brother Naija star Oluwabamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan (Bam-Bam) was nominated in Best Young/Promising Actor for her role in the movie Collision Course.


The AMAA 2021 gala and award is scheduled to take place on 28 November 2021 at the Marriot Hotel in Ikeja, Nigeria and will be televised live in more than 40 countries across Africa and worldwide. The AMAAs is the biggest gathering of filmmakers and other creatives in Africa. Since 2005, AMAA has been celebrating the excellence of Africa’s cinema.

Here is the full list of nominations for the AMAA 2021:

Efere Ozako AMAA 2021 Award for Best Short Film

1. Meat - Uganda
2. Enroute - Burkina Faso
3. A Better Friend - Ghana
4. Find Me By The River - South Africa
5. In Extremis - DRC
6. Portrait of Princess Tutu - Ivory Coast
7. The Long Night In Abuja - Nigeria

Jubril Malafia AMAA 2021 Award for best Animation

1. Room 5 - Ghana
2. Shaka-Inklosi Yamakhosi - South Africa
3. The Pyramid - Egypt
4. Mofiala - Togo
5. Lady Buckit and the Motley Mopster - Nigeria
6. A Thousand Fate - Uganda
7. White Nights - Algeria

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Documentary

1. Softie - Kenya
2. The Sacred Woods - Tunisia
3. Postcard - Morocco
4. Unmasked: Leadership, Trust & the Pandemic - Nigeria
5. Linda Under Lockdown - South Africa
6. Bulembu: History of a Culture - DRC
7. Noboth - Uganda
8. Zindet - Niger

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Diaspora Short Film

1. Three Leaves (Haiti)
2. In Other News (Canada)
3. Blue (US)
4. The Berne Identity (Switzerland)
5. No Comprendo (UK)

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Diaspora Documentary

1. Akwaaba - The Awakening (US)
2. African Redemption: the Life of Marcus Garvey (US)
3. Race Today Documentary (UK)

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Diaspora Narrative Feature

1. Ride Share (US)
2. Hal King (US)
3. Residue (US)

Michael Anyiam Osigwe AMAA 2021 Award for Best Film by an African Living Abroad

1. Blackmail - Obi Emelonye (Nigeria/UK)
2. First Call - Angela Onuora (Nigeria/Canada)
3. K.I.A.B - Eric Zoa and Oleksii Osyka (Cameroon/USA)
4. Gone - Daniel Ademinokan (Nigeria/US)

Ousmane Sembene AMAA 2021 Award for Best Film in an African Language

1. Bangarang - Robin Odongo (Kenya)
2. Ayinla - Tunde Kelani (Nigeria)
3. The Golddigger's Wife - Khadar Ahmed (Somalia)
4. Hotel on the Koppies - Charlie Vundler (South Africa)
5. Nyara - Ram Ally Kasongo (Tanzania)
6. Stain - Morris Mugisha (Uganda)

AMAA 2021 Achievement in Costume Design

1. African American
2. Buried
3. Oba Bi Olorun
4. Tecora
5. Eagles Wing

AMAA 2021 Award for Achievement In Make-up

1. Fried Barry
2. Tecora
3. The Gravedigger's Wife
4. The Takers
5. Mission to Rescue

AMAA 2021 Award for Achievement in Visual Effect

1. Nneka The Pretty Serpent
2. Stain
3. Fried Barry
4. The Takers
5. Mission to Rescue

AMAA 2021 Award for Achievement in Soundtrack

1. The Citation
2. Nyara (The Kidnapper)
3. The Gravedigger's Wife
4. This Lady Called Life
5. Hotel on the Koppies

AMAA 2021 Award for Achievement in Sound

1. Hairareb
2. African American
3. The Gravedigger's Wife
4. Eyimofe
5. La Femme Anjola

AMAA 2021 Award for Achievement in Production Design

1. Tecora
2. The Takers
3. Nyara (The Kidnapping)
4. The Gravedigger's Wife
5. Shadow Parties

AMAA 2021 Award for Achievement in Cinematography

1. Ayinla
2. Black Medusa
3. Stain
4. Nyara (The Kidnapping)
5. The Gravedigger's Wife

AMAA 2021 Award For Achievement In Editing

1. Mission to Rescue
2. Omo Ghetto: The Saga
3. Nyala (The Kidnapping)
4. Fried Barry
5. Eyimofe

AMAA 2021 Award for Achievement in Screenplay

1. Chasing Lullaby
2. Where I Come From
3. Stain
4. Collission Course
5. Hairareb

AMAA 2021 - National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Award for Best Nigerian Film

1. Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story
2. Ayinla
3. Eyimofe
4. The Citation
5. Omo Ghetto: The Saga
6. La Femme Anjola
7. Collission Course
8. Shadow Parties

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Young/Promising Actor

1. Wilmah Muremera - Shaina
2. Oluwabamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan - Collission Course
3. Faith Fidel - Where I Come From
4. David Weda - Bangarang
5. Bertha Abdallah - Nyara (The Kidnapping)
6. Hannah Sukali - Fatsani: A Tale Of Survival

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role

1. Mulshid Mugabire - Monica
2. Kelechi Udegbe - Collission Course
3. Mehdi Hajri - Black Medusa
4. Cameron Scott - Hotel on the Koppies
5. Bimbo Manuel - Gone

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role

1. Gloria Anozie-Young - Rattlesnake: The Ahanna Story
2. Naana Hayford - Chasing Lullaby
3. Tumi Morake - Seriously Single
4. Hazel Hinda - Hairareb
5. Ini Edo - The Citation

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role

1. Gary Green - Fried Barry
2. Lateef Adedimeji - Ayinla
3. Melvin Alusa - Mission To Rescue
4. Jude Akuwudike - Eyimofe
5. Omar Abdi - The Gravedigger's Wife
6. David Njavera - Hairareb
7. Nonso Bassey - La Femme Anjola

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role

1. Lucie Memba Bois - Buried
2. Funke Akindele - Omo Ghetto: The Saga
3. Sarah Alina Grosz - Black Medusa
4. Joan Agaba - Stain
5. Phumi Mthembu - African American
6. Rita Dominic - La Femme Anjola
7. Claudine de Groot - Hairareb

AMAA 2021 Award for Best First Feature Film by a Director

1. Shaina - Beatrice Masvaure Alf (Zimbabwe)
2. African American - Muzi Mthembu (South Africa)
3. Eyimofe - Chuko and Ayie Esiri (Nigeria)
4. The Gravedigger's Wife - Khadar Ahmed (Somalia) * Black Medusa - Youssef Chebbi & Ismael (Tunisia)
5. Fried Barry - Ryan Kruger (South Africa)

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Director

1. Gilbert Lukalia - (Mission To Rescue)
2. Ryan Kruger - (Fried Barry)
3. Khadar Ahmed - (The Gravedigger's Wife)
4. Morris Mugisha - (Stain)
5. Chuko and Ayie Esiri - (Eyimofe)
6. Oshoveli Shipoh - (Hairareb)
7. Ram Ally Kasongo - (Nyara/The Kidnapping)
8. Youssef Chebbi and Ismael - (Black Medusa)

AMAA 2021 Award for Best Film

1. Mission to Rescue (Kenya)
2. Fried Barry (South Africa)
3. The Gravedigger's Wife (Somalia)
4. Stain (Uganda)
5. Eyimofe (Nigeria)
6. Hairareb (Namibia)
7. Nyara:The Kidnapping (Tanzania)
8) Black Medusa (Tunisia)

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