AMAA 2023: Screening College to consider 389 entries from 45 countries

In a bid to ensure the continuity of Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) following the demise of the founder, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, the board of the global award organisation has approved the commencement of preparation for film selection.

In line with the board approval, the AMAA Screening College said it would consider 389 entries from over 45 countries already submitted for consideration.

The Chairman of the College, Dr. Shaibu Husseini, who made this known in a statement on Friday, said the screening will be in three stages before successful entries will be forwarded to the Board of International Jury of the award who will then determine the films that will make it into the 26 categories of the award.

Husseini said: “We have got the approval of the board to commence the process for this year’s AMAA award after the tragedy of the demise of the founder. AMAA is a legacy of Peace Anyiam-Osigwe we will preserve and continue to nurture in her honour.

“The Screening College has started work. We have three stages of screening with the last stage being the College of Screeners and films selected from the three stages of selection will qualify for nomination as will be decided by Board of AMAA International Jury.”

AMAA had announced call for entries on December 1, 2022, with the deadline fixed for June 30, 2023.

However, Husseini said having gotten approval of the Board of AFA, the committee commenced pre-selection ahead of the nomination event slated for August 31, 2023.

Before her transition in January, the AMAA founder had announced that the AMAA award event will take place in Lagos on October 29.

In the words of the College Chairman: “recall that the late founder had at a press conference on December 1 announced timelines for AMAA 2023.

“The Board of AFA intends for us to work with that timeline. So we are working with the Board to ensure that we meet the date that PMO had fixed for the main award event.

“So this pre-selection will last four weeks, after which we will begin screening at the level of the College of Screeners.

“That will last another two weeks before the jurors meet to decide nominees that will be announced at the nomination event.

“So we have commenced pre-selection and we are working with film critics, film scholars, filmmakers and enthusiast’s drawn as usual from across the continent to ensure that as usual only the best of the entries makes the final selection cut.”

The Star

Segun Ojo