'Contract' wins big at AfricaMagic Awards
Unlike last year when her film, Perfect Picture won only one out of the eight nominations it received, this year, it was a different ball game for film maker, Shirley Frimpong Manso at the second Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards(AMVCA) which was held last Saturday at the Eko Hotel and Suites on Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
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She won four out of the eight nominations with the film Contract, a Yvonne Okoro film, earning for herself the highest number of times any single individual mounted the stage on the night to be honoured.
Shirley was on stage to receive Best Movie Director and Best Video Editor. She shared the honours of Best Writer (Drama) with Herty Owusu and jointly won Best Movie 2013 with Ken Attoh and Yvonne Okoro.
However, Shirley and her posse were not the only ones who made Ghana proud at the three-hour star-studded event. Filmmaker, Frank Rajah Arase, also bagged the Best Movie (Drama) with The Price.
Unfortunately, although Majid Michel was nominated twice in the Best Actor Drama categories for Somewhere In Africa and House of Gold, he lost to Nigeria’s Tope Teresa for A Mile From Home.
Jackie Appiah who bagged Ghana's only award last year for Best Actress in a Drama (Perfect Picture) was not lucky this year. She lost out as Best Actress in a Comedy with Cheaters. The award went to Funke Akindele for Return of Sheri Koko.
Chris Attoh also lost out on the Best Supporting Actor In Drama with Flower Girl to Desmond Elliot who won with Finding Mercy. Nigeria’s Nse Ikpe-Etem was adjudged Best Actress In Drama.
Kenyan film, Nairobi Half Life which appeared to be a threat in every category it was nominated in, swept four awards - Best Cinematography, Best Make Up Artist, Best Lighting Designer and Best Best Art Director.
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Veteran Nigeria actor, Pete Edochie, 67, was honoured with the Industry Merit award while Actress Rita Dominic received the New Era award. In all, 29 awards including 9 voted for by viewers were handed out to deserving Africa film industry players.
Summing up on how she felt, an obviously elated Shirley Frimpong Manso told Graphic Showbiz after the awards ceremony "the feeling is just great.”
It was not just a night where excellence in African film and TV were rewarded, the glammed-up patrons of the well attended event were also treated to performances from award winning Nigeria musical Kakadu, Davido, pianist and musician, Cobhams and highlife hit maker, Flavour, who rocked the auditorium with some renditions from his repertoire.
Comperes for the night were Ik Osakioduwa, Vimbai Mutinihri of Big Brother Africa fame and Tinsel star, Osas Ighodaro.
But for one mix-up involving the delivery of a wrong list of nominees, the show ticked like clock work. The evening started with pre drinks and canapés at the Sky Bar of the hotel as the creme-de-la-creme made their way onto the red carpet. As the females sashayed and the guys looking dapper walked the red carpet, they sometimes stopped to as usual “brag'”about which designer they are wearing among others.
At the publicised time of 6.30 pm, the show proper was underway and after three hours, it came to an end at 9:30 pm giving patrons plenty of time to chill out at the after party also hosted at another part of Eko Hotel.
The AMVCA is presented by Africa Magic in conjunction with Multi Choice Africa and sponsored by Amstel Malta.