Movie Awards in Ghana and Nigeria Film industries have come to stay and have become one of the reasons filmmakers are striving to make “good” films. I have always said that, for an industry as small as ours, we have too many awards. Although some of the Awards are genuine, some are simply a vanity fair, a way to make a quick buck by the organizers. They fly our celebrities and offer them some mediocre service they themselves are proud to have and stage some show and call it an award.
There are many awards in the US too, but the boys are separated from the men. We the know the awards you win that make people turn heads and the ones that make people go “oh, ok”. meaning I don’t know what on earth you are talking about.
Is it every award you should be proud of? NO!! Bragging about some awards just makes you sound stupid, Look at the other films competing with you. That is the way to judge whether you are in a competition which has high stakes and winning will surely bring you pride for being the one to stand out among the lot or not.
As far as I am concerned, there is only one award show in Africa that is worthy to be called nicknamed the African Oscars. AMAA. I am not saying the AMAA does not come with its flaws, it has. I have done a double take at some of the films and people who have won. But, as the years go by, AMAA becomes better and better. The films that get nominated are getting stronger and stronger. The AMAA has been featured by major Hollywood dailys and 3 of the AMAA winners and AMAA winning films have gone on to win MTV Movie Awards and BAFTA Recognition Awards. I am praying their awards gets more competitive.
My attention was drawn about a week ago to this is a new award in town. I did some homework. In fact the “owner” of the award is someone I have found very amusing for a long time. The Nollywood Film Critics Awards and the owner, Mr. Victor Olatoye claims its the “African Oscars”. I am wondering how he came about that name or identity for an award show that has not been tested or proven to be genuine. Not only that, some the films that have been nominated give me indigestion. To add insult to injury, the man is giving himself a lifetime achievement award. For what I wonder?
I stand to be corrected, if this Victor Olatoye is anyone credible in Nollywood, then I send my sincerest apologies, but, I have done my homework to research him and all i found out about him is that He has critiqued over 500 movies on his website, and he used to/owns a STRIP CLUB in North Carolina called the Platinum entertainment club. In fact, one of his workers was gang raped some years back. I have looked everywhere for a major news article that cites this man’s critique or given him credit as an authority figure in Nollywood and found none. I went as far as calling some producers in Nigeria to ask if they know him and they don’t. He apparently went to school in Greece and has a PhD so his name is Dr. but we all know how easy it is to get a PhD in the western world if you put your mind to it. it seems more he is working at entering Nollywood than he is a part of it. The Award is also asking for donations and selling tickets. Looks like someone is trying to make a quick buck! Reading this supposed Drs. english is like reading a JSS student write an essay. I for a minute thought of verifying his Doctorate but that’s none of my business.
Briefly, be careful what you donate to, people. I advice Dr. to pull off this award without asking for donations, calling it the “oscars” and giving himself a lifetime achievement award. Pull it off modestly and get it the recognition you need. organize some bloggers to write credible things about it. With internet so accessible, everyone is a journalist in their own right so that should be easy. and then after some years, you can start finding suitable monikers for it. More over, movies like Chelsea and Holy serpent, in the Best Film Category make me wonder. Filmmakers need to do their homework before getting excited about every award that someone sleeps and dreams off.
congratulations to the good Dr though, and do take my advise. No selling of tickets, credible awards don’t do that unless you are providing food. Do your best to pull it off and give it a name before you start coming up with self proclaimed achievements.
