UBA continues to finance African film industry

Speaking at the recently concluded 2009 African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) ceremony held at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, group director, Marketing and Corporate Relations, UBA, Martin Anyanwu said though the UBA-AMAA partnership is a platform for recognising and rewarding filmmakers, actors and actresses, the bank is going a step further in providing the tools and environment required to access to finance.

“Financing is a critical problem faced by the industry not just in Nigeria but across Africa. Apart from this, there are other challenges too, for instance - many filmmakers require coaching and support when it comes to business planning and writing. UBA-AMAA is therefore partnering with various organisations including the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) and EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation through workshops aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial and business planning skills of industry practitioners. We have already taken twenty such filmmakers in Nigeria through such programmes and they have in turn submitted proposals which are currently being evaluated by our entertainment desk," he said.

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, AMAA President believes that African films have the potentials of changing the negative perception of the continent based largely from images fed to the world over the years through the conventional news media. She feels there is therefore the need to produce the right films and at the same time reward and celebrate practitioners so they can be encouraged to do more. In her remarks, she praised the Bayelsa state government and UBA for supporting AMAA which according to her was conceptualised to celebrate the brightest and best African movies.

Forest Whitaker who won the Oscar for his portrayal of the former Ugandan Head of State Idi Amin Dada in the film "The last King of Scotland" and Danny Glover, another Hollywood legend, witnessed the handing over of the UBA-AMAA plaque to deserving winners.

Forest Whitaker said coming for the ceremony was a homecoming of sorts for him, given that it has given him the opportunity of connecting with his ancestral roots. He pointed out that experience and imagination are the essential ingredients in film making and therefore urged contemporary story tellers in the continent to exploit these, to tell the African story positively.

Nigerian actress Funke Akindele won the award for the Best Performance by an Actress for her role in the movie "Jenifa" whilst Egyptian Farouk Alfishawi won in the male category for his role in the movie, "Seventh Heaven." The Kenya film, “From a whisper", directed by Wanuro Kahiu picked up six awards winning the Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Original Soundtract and the AMAA Achievement in Editing categories. Mercy Johnson of who won the Best Performance by an Actress in a supporting role for her part in the film "Live to remember"; Litha Booi and Lungelo Dhaladha who both carted away the Most Promising Actor and Actress awards in the male and female category in the South African film "Gugu and Andile"; Michelle Bello's "Small Boy" won the AMAA Achievement in Art Direction award just as the star of the same film, Richard Chukwuma won in the category of Best Performance by a Child Actor; "Cindy's Note" by Izu Chukwu clinched the AMAA Achievement in Cinematography awards whilst Tunde Kelani's "Arugba" was adjudged the Heart of Africa's Best Film from Nigeria.

In all, the awards jury considered 55 entries from which nominations and eventual winners were chosen.
2009 African Movie Academy Awards Jury:

• Ayoku Babu, director of the Pan Africa Film Corporationin Los Angeles, USA
  
• Keith Shiri (United Kingdom) - Director, London African Film Festival
  
• Dorothee Wenner (Germany) - Filmmaker and programmer of Berlin International Film Festival
  
• Asantewa Olatunji Esq. (USA) - Attorney and director of Programmes of Pan African Film Festival
• Berni Goldblat (Burkina Faso) - Filmmaker and producer
  
• Steve Ayorinde (Nigeria) -Journalist, Film critic and editor of Punch Newspapers
  
• Shaibu Husseini (Nigeria) - Performing artist, film journalist and critic
  
• Hamida Sulliman (South Africa) - Film editor
  
• Dr. Hyginus Ekwuazi (Nigeria) - Former managing director and chief executive officer of the Nigerian Film Corporation and current Head of the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan
  
• June Givanni (UK) - International film curator of Pan African Cinema

Entries were submitted from Ghana, Cameroon, Cameroon, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Rwanda, Niger and Zimbabwe.

In Nigeria were the film industry is yet to be properly structured, UBA is also working with the National Film & Video Censors board and the Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board to enforce the current anti Piracy Laws. These efforts have culminated into the signing ceremony of the MOU last year, which will make it difficult to sell pirated movie on the streets of Lagos henceforth.