Nollywood film Breath of Life pulled off a huge scoop of laurels at the recently-held Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) …
The film clinched five awards on the night out of eleven nominations:
- Best Movie
- Best Lead Actor – Wale Ojo
- Best Supporting Actor – Demola Adedoyin
- Best Supporting Actress – Genoveva Umeh
- Best Director – BB Sasore
Breath of Life follows Timi, a brilliant multilingual man who becomes the first African clergyman in the Church of England. After marrying and having a daughter, he returns to Nigeria, leading a fulfilling life until his family is wiped out by a local thug. He manages to exact vengeance, but his soul is crushed and he stays reclusive for more than two decades until Elijah, a young boy, becomes his housekeeper and helps him rediscover his purpose. The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
C.J. Obasi’s critically acclaimed fantasy thriller Mami Wata, which has enjoyed an amazing festival run since its premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and which received eleven AMVCA nominations, won only one award which came in the Best Makeup category.
Funke Akindele’s blockbuster dramedy A Tribe Called Judah, which made history as the highest-grossing Nigerian film of all time, shockingly ended up with no awards, despite being nominated in five categories.
The AMVCAs is an award show presented by MultiChoice recognising outstanding performances in television, film, entertainment, and digital content creation throughout Nollywood and the entire African continent. It is widely regarded as one of the most hallowed award ceremonies as far as African cinema is concerned.
This year’s edition was held on 10 and 11 May 2024, featuring a series of events, the highlights of which included the Young Filmmakers Day, the Cultural Day Celebration, and the main Awards Night. These events saw the African film and television industry come together to honour outstanding talent and creativity in the industry. For the awards, nine categories were subject to audience voting, while seventeen categories were determined by the AMVCA Jury.
Commenting on its tenth edition, Dr. Busola Tejumola, Executive Head of Content and Channels, West Africa, MultiChoice, said, “The Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards was created to honour exceptional achievements in television and film across the continent and we are excited to have been able to keep that fire burning through 10 editions. Year after year, we have received numerous entries and can attest to the growth in the quality of submissions with each edition. While this year’s edition is a milestone edition as it is the 10th, it is also a testament to the growth the film industry in Africa has experienced.”
Click here to see the full list of winners.