Nigerian filmmaker, curator, Peace Maria Ogechi Anyiam-Osigwe, might have passed away on January 9, 2023 at the age of 54, her legacy lives on in one of her many creations, the Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA.
The late filmmaker was a force in the African creative and film business and after making contributions and impacts on several global film fora like Cannes, Toronto International Film Festival, SunDance Film Festival, Berlinale, she decided to establish a reputable platform aimed aimed at honouring and promoting excellence in the African movie industry as well as uniting the African continent through arts and culture.
And in 2004, PMO, as she’s fondly called, founded the Africa Film Academy, which in turn became the producer for the Africa Movie Awards Academy, AMAA.
Irrespective of economic, climatic and territorial challenges, the AMAA continued to hold annually and come November 2, 2024, the 20th edition will be held in Lagos, Nigeria.
Widely referred to as the African Oscars for the detailing and non-partisan approach to rewarding excellence in the Africa film industry, the AMAAs ranks among Africa’s most notable film events annually.
In an exclusive chat with PMO before her passing, she stressed that the platform was established to honour excellence in the African film industry while serving as a critical platform to recognise the achievements of African filmmakers, actors, and other industry professionals.
“AMAA remains a rallying point for filmmakers. AMAA has set the pace for continental film and movie awards ceremonies in Africa. I can’t speak on behalf of other awards as I am not in the know of how or what has taken over but I can confidently tell you that AMAA has done more than rewarding filmmakers across Africa. We have continued to create fora and platforms for capacity building, training and re-training on current globally acceptable standards in filmmaking, curating and exhibition,” she enthused.
To reiterate AMAA’s commitment and foster unity amongst African filmmakers, PMO, alongside her team, have consistently taken the train to various African countries and cities. Though the gala night had been mostly held in Nigeria – Bayelsa, Abuja, and Lagos – at different times, the continental film awards ceremony has also been held in Rwanda and South Africa.
Other African countries that have also played host to various activities including capacity building by AMAA include Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Ghana.
AMAA and her founder pride themselves in the quality of members of the college of screeners and jury.
“AMAA isn’t an award for the gram as they say. It’s an award where winners emerge after critical assessment by the competent jurors. The jurors are credible film practitioners, who have and are still curators for several festivals, festival directors, with tested and proven record of their achievements. Keith Shiri was the Head for 2022 and I can tell you for a fact that the AMAA jury is the best you can find in Africa. We can’t help sore losers but nominees and winners of AMAA have gone ahead to do well at international film festivals and global film fora. Films that have won awards at AMAA’s or even gotten nominations have gone ahead to do well at international film festivals like Cannes, TIFF, Berlinale and others,” she boasted.
Unknown to many, AMAA had also afforded the late PMO and he team to interact and form a formidable relationship with and among African leaders as well as creatives. According to the late founder, for every African country where AMAA had held any of its activities, the government and creatives have received the award warmly, hence further strengthening the bond among African creatives and filmmakers.
In the same vein, AMAA also became a veritable tourism indicator providing entertainment and hospitality tourism to every host state, city and country. For many years, Yenegoa, the capital of Bayelsa, witnessed tourism boost and patronage whenever it was AMAA season as attendees from various parts of Africa and the world converge to celebrate films and filmmakers. Hence it was a no brainer when the executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu decided to embrace the award to become the host city for a period of four years. The pact was signed and announced in 2021 by the governor in the presence of Africa.
Until she breathed her last, PMO was passionate about the African film industry, the African creative sector and was the president of the Association of Movie Producers amongst many other things. The impactful filmmaker and founder will readily tell anyone who cares to listen that ‘the story of the film industry in Africa can’t be told without the inclusion of AMAA.’
20 years after her dream was born and achieved through sweat, toil, and struggle, the legacies of PMO, who passed away after the 18th edition, continues to live on.
