Nominations for the 2012 African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), Africa’s most popular and respected awards for filmmakers and movie stars, have been announced. There are 136 nominees and the announcement was made during the AMAA 2012 Nomination Night held at Kairaba Beach Hotel, Kololi, Gambia.

According to the 10-man jury headed by Dr Asantewa Olatunji, director of programming of the Pan Africa Film Festival, some 328 movies were received for the entries on different categories as related to the awards. These include 134 feature films, 88 short films, 57 documentaries and 6 animations.

Oseni Shuaib, a member of the jury who gave the breakdown of the entries prior the announcement of the nominees’ names said as per category, 43 entries came from Africans in the Diaspora while the remaining entries are from 23 countries across Africa.

The films that carried the day were from countries like Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya, amongst others. And the most nominated and catchy films are the South Africa’s How to steal 2 Million and Otelo Burning; Ghana’s Somewhere in Africa; Adesuwa from Nigeria; Kenya’s Rugged Priest; the Nigerian-South African co-production film Man on Ground.

From the 136 nominees for the prestigious AMAA, Nigeria received 52 followed by South Africa with 45, Ghana with 17 nominations.Kenya received 14, Uganda 5; Tanzania, Algeria, Cameroon, Guinea, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe all got 3 nominees each. 

The AMAA 2012 awards was divided into 26 categories. They are as follow: AMAA 2012 prize for Best Short Film; Best Documentary; Best Diaspora Feature; Best Diaspora Documentary; Best Diaspora Shot Film; Best Animation. So also, AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Film by an African Living Abroad; AMAA 2012 Prize for Achievement in Production Design; Costume Design; Make-Up; Soundtrack; Visual Effects; Sound, Cinematography, Editing; Screenplay.

The most popular among the categories that are well known by even the layman are AMAA 2012 Prize for Best Nigerian Film; Best film in an African Language; Best Child Actor; Best Young/Promising Actor; Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Actor and Actress in a Leading Role and Best Director and Best Film.

Among the most common nominated films in each categories are Adesuwa, Somewhere in Africa, How to Steal 2 Million; Rugged Priest; Otelo Burning; Alero’s Symphony; State of Violence; Man on Ground; Two Brides and a Baby; Unwanted Guest; Phone Swap; Bank Job; Ties that bound.

Eligible films for nomination are the only films produced and released between December 1010 and December 2011.

Peace Anyanwu Osigwe, the founder of AMAA who is also doubles as the CEO of Actor Film Academy in Nigeria said the theme of this year AMAA is “Africa Rising.” According to her Africa’s economies are consistently growing faster than those of almost any other region of the world and African movie industries are following. On this, she said The Gambia being a potential tourism country will from this moment continue to enjoy the fruit of the industry as others. More over, since the last AMAA awards, there is great excitement about the potentiality of the African film industry.

As you are looking forward for the actual AMAA night schedule for April 22, 2012 in Lagos Nigeria, below is the full list of the nominees as read during the AMAA 2012 Nomination Night in The Gambia.

AMAA 2012 BEST SHORT FILM

JAMAA – Uganda

Look Again – Kenya

Maffe Tiga – Guinea

Braids On Bald Head – Nigeria

Hidden Life – South Africa

Mwansa The Great – Zimbabwe

Chumo – Tanzania

The Young Smoker – Nigeria

AMAA 2012 BEST DOCUMENTARY

African Election – Nigeria / Germany

Beyond The Deadly Pit – Rwanda

Awa Ogbe An African Adventure – Algeria

Dear Mandella – South Africa

White & Black, Crime And Colour – Tanzania

The Niger Delta Struggle – Ghana

There Is Nothing Wrong With My Uncle – Nigeria

How Much Is Too Much – Kenya

AMAA 2012 BEST DIASPORA FEATURE

Toussanat Louverture – France

Ghetta Life – Jamaica

High Chicago – Canada

Elza – Guadelupe

Better Must Come – Jamaica

Kinyanrwanda – USA

AMAA 2012 BEST DIASPORA DOCUMENTARY

The Education Of Auma Obama – Germany

White Wash – USA

Almendron Mi Corazon – Guadeloupe

All Me The Life And Times Of Winfred Hubert – USA

AMAA 2012 BEST DIASPORA

(SHORT FILM)

John Doe – USA

White Sugar In A Black Pot – USA

The Lost One – USA

AMAA 2012 BEST ANIMATION

The Legend Of Ngog Hills – Kenya

Oba – Nigeria

Climate Change Is Real – Kenya

Egu – South Africa

Chomoka – Kenya

AMAA 2012 BEST FILM BY AN AFRICAN LIVING ABROAD

Mystery Of Birds – USA / Nigeria

Housemates – United Kingdom / Nigeria

Ben Kross – Italy / Nigeria

Paparezzi Eye In The Dark – USA / Nigeria / Ghana

AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION DESIGN

Somewhere In Africa – Ghana

Phone Swap – Nigeria

Otelo Burning – South Africa

Adesuwa – Nigeria

How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa

AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

The Captain Of Nakara

Adesuwa – Nigeria

Rugged Priest – Kenya

Somewhere In Africa – Ghana

Queens Desire

AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT

IN MAKE-UP

Rugged Priest – Kenya

State Research Bureau – Uganda

Adesuwa – Nigeria

Somewhere in Africa – Ghana

Shattered – Kenya

AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUNDTRACK

Otelo Burning – South Africa

Alero’s Symphony – Nigeria

Adesuwa – Nigeria

How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa

Somewhere In Africa – Ghana

AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT

IN VISUAL EFFECTS

Behind The Mask

Somewhere In Africa – Ghana

Adesuwa – Nigeria

State Research Bureau – Uganda

Otelo Burning – South Africa

AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

State Of Violence – South Africa

Otelo Burning – South Africa

How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa

Man On Ground – South Africa

Algiers Murder – South Africa

AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa

Otelo Burning – South Africa

Rugged Priest – Kenya

Masquerades – Ghana

Man On Ground – South Africa / Nigeria

AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING

Algiers Murder – South Africa

Man On Ground – South Africa / Nigeria

Unwanted Guest – Nigeria

How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa

Otelo Burning – South Africa

Alero’s Symphony – Nigeria

AMAA 2012 ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREENPLAY

Ties That Bind – Ghana

Mr & Mrs – Nigeria

How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa

Otelo Burning – South Africa

Unwanted Guest – Nigeria

Two Brides And A Baby – Nigeria

AMAA 2012 BEST NIGERIAN FILM

Unwanted Guest

Family On Fire

Alero’s Symphony

Adesuwa

Phone Swap

AMAA 2012 BEST FILM IN AN AFRICAN LANGUAGE

Chumo – Tanzania

State Of Violence – South Africa

Family On Fire – Nigeria

Otelo Burning – South Africa

Asoni – Cameroun

AMAA 2012 BEST CHILD ACTOR

Rahman Junior Bande (Greg) – Behind The Mask

Tsepang Mohlomi (Ntwe) – Otelo Burning

Reginna Danies (Jenny) – Bank Job

Benjamin Abemigisha and Racheal Nduhukire (Derick and Margaret) – JAMAA

Ayinla O Abdulaheem – ZR-7

AMAA 2012 BEST YOUNG / PROMISING ACTOR

Neo Ntatleno (OJ) – State Of Violence

Ivie Okujaye (Alero) – Alero’s Symphony

Iyobosa Olaye (Adesuwa) – Adesuwa

Martha Ankomah – Somewhere In Africa

Thomas Gumede and Sihle Xaba – Otelo Burning

AMAA 2012 BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Rapuldna Seiphemo (Twala) – How To Steal 2 Million

Fano Mokoena – Man On Ground

Hafiz Oyetoro – Phone Swap

Okechukwu Uzoesi – Two Brides And A Baby

Godfrey Theobejane – 48

Lwanda Jawar – Rugged Priest

AMAA 2012 BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Terry Phetto – How To Steal 2 Million

Ebbe Bassey – Ties That Bind

Empress Njamah – Bank Job

Ngozi Ezeonu – Adesuwa

Thelma Okoduwa – Mr & Mrs

Omotola Jalade Ekeinde – Ties That Bind

AMAA 2012 BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Menzi Ngubane – How To Steal 2 Million

Majid Micheal – Somewhere In Africa

Chet Anekwe – Unwanted Guest

Jafta Mamabolo – Otelo Burning

Karabo Lance – 48

Wale Ojo – Phone Swap

Hakeem Kae-Kazim – Man On Ground

AMAA 2012 BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Nse Ikpe Etim – Mr & Mrs

Yvonne Okoro – Single Six

Ama K. Abebrese – Ties That Bind

Rita Dominic – Shattered

Uche Jombo – Damage

Millicent Makheido – 48

Kudzai Sevenzo-Nyarai – Playing Warriors

AMAA 2012 BEST DIRECTOR

Adesuwa – Lancelot Oduwa Imaseun

Ties That Bind – Leila Djansi

Rugged Priest – Bob Nyanja

How To Steal 2 Million – Charlie Vundla

State Of Violence – Khalo Matabane

Man On Ground – Akin Omotoso

Otelo Burning – Sara Bletcher

AMAA 2012 PRIZE FOR BEST FILM

State Of Violence – South Africa

Adesuwa – Nigeria

Otelo Burning – South Africa

Rugged Priest – Kenya

How To Steal 2 Million – South Africa

Ties That Bind – Ghana

Man On Ground – South Africa / Nigeria