It’s the second week in November and some practitioners are in the news for the right and wrong reasons…
Burkinabe Director, Apolline Traore, makes history at The AMAA
Burkinabe director, Apolline Traore, was in Nigeria for the 19th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Not only did her film, Sira, pick two coveted awards — that of directing and editing, the award-winning director would be recorded in the AMAA history books as the first female director to win the AMAA crest for best directing in the 19 years history of the award scheme founded by late Peace Anyiam Osigwe.
All previous recipient of the directing award had been male director. “Apolline is the first female director to win the directing award,” said journalist and former Lagos State Commissioner of Culture, Steve Ayorinde, who is a member of the AMAA Jury. An elated Apolline who received the award personally dedicated the directing crest to all female directors in the continent. “When I was nominated for this category, I found that I was the only female in the category and I prayed that I win and here I am with the award. I thank the AMAA jury and I dedicate this to all female directors and filmmakers in the continent,” she said during her acceptance speech. Based in Burkina Faso, Apolline has made four important films — Desrances (2019), Borders (2019), I, Zaphira (2012) and Sira (2022) that have picked up prizes at a previous edition of the AMAA, at Berlinale and at Fespaco. It was her effort in Sira, which premiered at the Berlinale and won a Silver Stallion at
FESPACO that earned her the AMAA award for directing penultimate Sunday.
Nancy Isime’s ppen Bara at AMAA
Filmaker Kunle Afolayan has a request from actress and show host Nancy Isime that he must look for a way to honour. The actress who was one of the host at the AMAA ceremony openly asked Afolayan whose movie, Anikulapo, picked up two awards — Best Film In An African Language and Best Achievement in Production Design to find a role for her in his next project. Isime got the audience and Afolayan cracking up their ribs when she tried a few lines in Yoruba language just so as to convince the filmmaker that she could fit into any of his next movie project even if the project is in Yoruba language. A bird squealed to us that he sighted the actress and the filmmaker discussing after the show, suggesting that Isime’s ‘open Bara’ (open appeal) has paid off. Who knows? The notable actress may just be on Afolayan’s next project, which he revealed is already at the stage of conception.
… As filmmaker Saddik Tafawa Balewa is honoured
One of Nigeria’s internationally known filmmakers Saddik Tafawa Balewa was last Sunday in Lagos honoured with a Life Time Achievement award by organisers of the Africa Movie Academy Award (AMAA). A filmmaker in the professional class, Saddik got a loud ovation when he was called up to receive his crest. A well-medaled filmmaker, Balewa’s working career started with the Performing Arts Company of the Centre for Nigerian Cultural Studies and Ahmadu Bello University as a Senior Cultural Officer, Graduate Assistant, and Assistant Lecturer. After his master’s degree in 1983, he moved to the Nigerian Television Authority before travelling to the UK to study Film and Television professionally at the National Film and Television School of Britain, which is the top professional film school in the UK and arguably worldwide. He is the first black African to have graduated from the school. A pioneer lecturer at the National Film Institute in Jos, and for the last decade, an adjunct senior lecturer in Film and Media, Department of Theatre and Performing Arts at the Ahmadu Bello University, Balewa has done consultancy for many government agencies and private companies including, the Federal Ministry of Information & Culture and the Nigerian Film Corporation. He serves and has served on the boards of many organizations including the National Film Institute, the Director’s Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Abuja Film Village Project and Motion Pictures Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN). His feature film, titled, Kasarmu Ce (This Land is Ours) has been seen in over 20 countries worldwide and has won awards in Italy, the UK, and Nigeria. We say congratulations to the Bauchi state the son of the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the first Prime Minister of Ngeria.
John Okafor undergoes multiple surgeries, loses left leg
Popular Nollywood actor, John Okafor aka Mr. Ibu, has had his left leg amputated even after five successful surgeries. In a statement that the family issued on the actors verified Instagram post, it said they had to take the painful decision to allow his leg to be amputated to keep the actor alive. Part of the statement read: ‘As of 1.00pm today, Daddy (Mr. Ibu) has gone through seven successful surgeries but to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery one of his legs had to be amputated. This development has been hard on us all but we have had to accept it as daddy’s new reality to keep him alive.’ The Okafors thanked all those who rallied round the actor and made financial donations, even as they solicited more support from well-meaning Nigerians. “We are still soliciting support from well-meaning Nigerians as this stage Daddy is, is still one that is very delicate and he needs all the help he can get,” the statement surmised.
Light dims on Nollywood ‘Action’ actor Natty Bruce Idigbogu
The Nollywood industry woke up this Monday to the news that it had lost a member of its tribe. Light has dimmed on notable Nollywood actor and stunt coordinator Natty Bruce Idigbogu. Popular as ‘Action Actor’ an alias he earned from his coordination of fight and stunt sequences in films, Natty Bruce reportedly passed on November 6 after battling a protracted illness. A director at NollyActions Entertainment Limited and the CEO of Natty Bruce Films and Cinema Services, Natty will be remembered for coordinating stunt and fight sequences in movies such as, Aguba Igogoro, Guardian Angel, Never End, President Must Die, ’30 Days, Queen Amina and Grey Focus, amongst others.
