The Africa Film Academy has announced the nominees for the 17th edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards.

The announcement which was made on Friday, October 26, 2021, at the Ebony Life Place, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria saw Ghana land two nominations.

Securing a nomination in the Best Short Film category is the movie ‘A Better Friend’. 

The film is a short teen melodrama that explores love in its many forms-romantic and platonic; through the eyes of two teenagers. That innocent inclusiveness it can be built upon.

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The movie was written by Ebenezer Andoh and Jumic Emma Anderson who also served as director of the film. 

A Better Friend was also selected for the Black Star International Film Festival and the Accra Indie Filmfest 2021. The short film also won the Best Ensemble Acting at the 2021 London Indie Film Festival. 

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The movie is up for the award alongside six other films including Meat (Uganda) and Enroute (Burkina Fasso).

Also up for nomination is the animation ‘Room 5’. The film has been selected in the Best Animation category.

‘Room 5’ the animation short film from Animaxfyb Studio shows how patients are treated by some nurses when they visit hospitals. It also includes a sub-plot about how most people are afraid of injections.

The animation landed an official selection at Festival international du film d’animation d’Annecy (AIAFF) in March 2021.

Meanwhile, among the nominees, the film Gravedigger’s Wife from Somalia received the most nominations with 10, including nominations in categories like an award for best film in African Language, the award for best actor in a leading role, and best director.

The film, which is a co-production of companies from France, Somalia, Germany, and Finland, tells the story of Guled (Omar Abdi), a gravedigger in Djibouti, who is struggling to raise money to pay for surgery when his wife Nasra (Yasmin Warsame) becomes gravely ill with kidney disease.

The AMAA 2021 Gala and award is scheduled to hold on November 28, 2021 at the Marriot Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Nigeria and will be televised live in more than 40 countries across Africa and other countries 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.

Below are the nominations

1. EFERE OZAKO AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM

1) Meat – Uganda

2) Enroute – Bourkina Fasso

3) A Better Friend – Ghana

4) Find Me By The River – South Africa

5) In Extremis – DRC

6) Portrait of Princess Tutu – Cote d’Ivoire

7) The Long Night In Abuja – Nigeria

2. 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 & the Motley Mopster – Nigeria

6) A Thousand Fate – Uganda

7) White Nights – Algeria

3. 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

4. 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)

5. 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)
4. AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR BEST DIASPORA NARRATIVE FEATURE

1) Ride Share (US)

2) Hal King (US)

3) Residue (US)

7. 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 & Oleksii Osyka (Cameroon/USA)

4) Gone – Daniel Ademinokan (Nigeria/US)

8. 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)

9. AMAA 2021 ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN

1) African American

2) Buried

3) Oba Bi Olorun

4) Tecora

5)  Eagles Win

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

1) Hairareb

2) African American

3) The Gravedigger’s Wife

4) Eyimofe

5) La Femme Anjola

14. 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

15. AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY

1) Ayinla

2) Black Medusa

3) Stain

4) Nyara (The Kidnapping)

5) The Gravedigger’s Wife

16. 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

17. AMAA 2021 AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN SCREEN PLAY

1) Chasing Lullaby

2) Where I Come From

3) Stain

4) Collission Course

5) Hairareb

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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 & Ayie Esiri (Nigeria)

4) The Gravedigger’s Wife – Khadar Ahmed (Somalia) * Black Medusa – Youssef Chebbi & Ismael (Tunisia)

5) Fried Barry – Ryan Kruger (South Africa)

25. 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 & Ayie Esiri – (Eyimofe)

6) Oshoveli Shipoh – (Hairareb)

7) Ram Ally Kasongo – (Nyara/The Kidnapping)

8) Youssef Chebbi & Ismael – (Black Medusa)

26. 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)