TheCable

The Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) is set to hold in June, 2015 as Dayo Ogunyemi (pictured), a former board member of the African Film Academy, has been appointed as the new chief executive officer of the prestigious awards.

Though this year’s nomination of the event which is geared towards the tradition of celebrating the best in the business of film making across Africa and beyond will hold in April, the awards itself would be spot-on in June.

The organisers of the pan-African reward system for motion picture professionals shifted the 2015 edition of the event in honour of Michael Anyiam-Osigwe, the elder brother of Peace, the founder of the awards.

Micheal passed on in November after failing to recover from bullet wounds suffered in a gun attack.

“Michael has been a great pillar of support for AMAA since its inception and his untimely death has sure thrown some immediate challenges to us as a body but we are pressing on and we have to change the date from traditional month to April to June to allow us prepare and respond to the current realities,” said Tony Anih, AMAA’s director of administration.

“We will announce the actual date for nominations and the main award in April and June soonest.”

The award which is in its eleventh year (2004-2015) would be receiving entries from all black filmmakers till the last day of January, 2015.

New Administration

As Dayo Ogunyemi becomes CEO of the revered awards, Keith Shiri, an active member of the AMAA since its inception in 2004, will take up the role of president of the jury for 2015, as Peace, founder of the awards, now presides over the Africa Film Academy.

The Africa Film Academy (AFA), which Anyiam-Osigwe now leads, aims to promote the training, lobbying, and the overall development of young professions in the Film industry.

In this regard, the Africa Cinema Business Roundtable was established.

The advisory board of AFA is headed by Danny Glover, renowned American actor, who has continued to support the AMAA legacy.

The Founder of the AMAA is using her time now to promote the cause of the people in Northeast Nigeria, #NoBAGA, #weareBaga will bring about a change in being our brothers’ keeper.