Stella Dimoko Korkus.com: AMVCA 2017 Review -A Must Read!

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Wednesday, March 08, 2017

AMVCA 2017 Review -A Must Read!

There isn't anything much to write about the AMVCAs this year. 




It looks like it has grown with its own dawdles, aspirations and reward values in the past five years , yet still has to be weaned off the tits of muted controversies in the awards categories.


The first impression one got from the AMVCAs this year was that perhaps the planning for the event might have been hit by the fall outs of the recession in Nigeria or something. Unlike past editions, the buzz and anticipation for the 2017 edition was unusually low key or just lukewarm. There was a lack of excitement for the event generally. And unlike past editions as well, the invitation cards, one of the most talked about pre-event staples of past AMVCAs, were noticeably not as thrilling as before.


The event kept to time as usual and promptly by 7pm, the opening performance by Timi Dakolo, who rendered a song on Africa with a dance ensemble by the Bolanle Austen Peters Performers, welcomed the audience and viewers at home.


I.K, Osakioduwa and Mimi Dlamini came on after that performance as the hosts for the evening. They tried a weak skit, after I.K joked about not being given roles by Film Producers. All I can say is if that was a live audition by IK that night in front of a casting director, he would be put on a 'maybe' list by a professional casting director possibly! 

And Mimi wouldn't have a call back too!


The AMVCAs this year was noticeably a night of the 'Supporters Club'. I stopped counting how many times excited supporters of winners flocked the stage with the awardees! Now, I know there is love in sharing but sometimes it seemed as if many of the supporters just wanted to be seen on continental television too! I don't think there is much anyone can do about that though. Incredible.




But it was also a night of excitement and effusive acceptance speeches by some of the winners, many of whom ignored the music cues to round up their sppeches and went on emotional displays or perhaps convenient chokes by tears.


Perekeme Odon, who won the Best Make-Up Category with Hakeem for 'Oloibiri' started that trend with something of a near-Rastafarian screaming acceptance speech when he was on the podium. 

Pat Egwurumbe, who won the Best Costume Designer award, had an excited daughter with her onstage who gave a couple of proud but shrill 'Mummy!' screams like a lovestruck teen!


Samuel Ajibola of ' The Johnsons' fame had the audience cheering for him when he gave his acceptance speech for Best Actor in a comedy series and switched to his popular character, Spiff. Same with Funke Akindele when she came up twice to receive her awards for her 'Jenifa' series. There was a prancing David Jones who won the Best Actor in a Drama Series prize and kept sniffing with a finger across his nose as he gave his speech! What was that, please? An affectation or a sniffling?

There were a couple of tepid musical performances. A South African act called Lira gave a solo performance which elicited blank stares and polite applause from the audience. She got a better response though when she and Waje performed a new single titled 'Mountain' . 



A duo called DNA, who looked like a prototype of P Square, performed. I would advise them to do more work on their stagecraft. They have something to offer but need to work harder.


Then, there was another performance by the dance ensemble of BAP, which was a 'mini-broadway-esque' Fela Kuti story. The fellow who played the Fela role, amid the exaggerated sways and twists of Fela he did, went off key and rhythm as he sang, distorting the band and the tempo for awhile. There was a curious and perhaps needless interlude to the skit with a delve into Runtown's 'Mad Over You', which was befuddling. Perhaps, it was for the dancing girls or something? Fela returned from his backstage brief hiatus, more energised and mercifully sang to the tune and rhythm this time.


There were a few surprises for the night in the awards categories. Heavyweights like RMD, Ramsey Noah, Olu Jacobs were snubbed in the Best Actor category and an up and coming Sambissa Nzeribe took the award. Much as he's a good actor,even he was as surprised as the others when he won and prostrated on the floor, requesting for their permission to receive the award. Perhaps that broke the shock moment for the other nominees and many watching.


Rita Dominic won the 'Best Actress' category for her role in '76 .




A Chinese lady who represented a Chinese car company and spoke what seemed to be a curious mix of Chinese and English to our ears, ("Chinglish", maybe?)presented the Trailblazer award to Somkhele Inyama, which was just as well, seeing that she later lost in the category she was nominated for.


The high moment of the night for me was the Lifetime Recognition Award given to Chief Chika Okpala, the veteran actor popularly known as Chief Zebrudaya. Whilst giving his appreciative speech, he recognised one of his proteges, Nkem Owoh, whom he told the audience was a scriptwriter for the New Masquerade series back in the day. The audience gave a powerful ovation for this piece of news and it was quite a moving moment, a realisation that the foundation for the Nollywood as we know it today, was built by the likes of creatives such as Chief Okpala and Owoh.


Izu Ojukwu won Best Director for the movie '76' and perhaps deservedly so. And '76' won the 'Best Picture' award as well.

With the awards over, what followed was the usual backslapping and after party moments at the venue .


My hindsight take on the awards this year may not be any different from last year's. I still think the AMVCAs have much work to do in its awards voting mechanism and categories. I noticed that many Nollywood stars did not attend this year's edition unlike the past editions. If that is a function of the economy or a polite snub is left for conjecture but the buzz I got was one of lethargy and grumbles about 'lef dem with "their" awards'. And for a 5th edition, which is supposed to be a mid-decade shindig, these signs should be nipped in the bud. 


Something has to be done to recalibrate the awards or the perception by industry players that it is a contraption designed to reward Africa Magic's in-house favourites. With the title of the awards, it's a possibility though.


A counter arguement to that notion above would be that perhaps too, a new ship has berthed somewhere in Nollywood. And this new ship has a new crew and new passengers and it takes a special requirement for any passenger on the dock of the bay, to get in.


Can the AMVCAs do something about the pronunciation of names by their voice over artist next time please? That 'Big Brother' sounding voice who was reeling out the names of the nominees in the clips was annoyingly 'off point'! Shouldn't there be a more researched voice over artist who could do that?


Finally, the guys at Africa Magic have tried their best in the past five years. I must hand it to them, at least. But there will be higher expectations in the future editions from everyone. Like one of the new actors who won in one of the categories said onstage; 'This took a long time in coming'. Seeing that he is quite young in the industry, one couldn't help but wonder what long time or lifetime he meant! But I guess, he was talking about some sort of validation from AMVCA. He craved for it for years perhaps, since the awards started.

And it was five years a crave.

The AMVCAs should do more make the next five years a rave.


* Written by Charles Novia who is an award-winning filmmaker, media entrepreneur and pop culture critic. Follow on facebook , twitter and instagram @charlesnovia


This post is from his Facebook page.


40 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Please where is ecetera? I miss his articles.

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  2. I didn't bother to read, I scrolled down till I saw Charles Novia because I was so sure he was the writer.
    Movies/Nollywood - Charles Novia
    Politics - Reuben Abati

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  3. Oh how I miss Emmy colllins, you will be nodding your head in agreement and laughing at the same time with his analysis. He gives it to the 'HOT'.

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  4. hmmmmmmm, let me go and enjoy my women's day today

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  5. Riri's dress was just there!
    Nothing spectacular!
    No wow effect!

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  6. Okay! Quick one, who can supply this aphrodisiac called" kayan Mata" to the states? My girls are going crazie! Tank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey anon! No need to look further! Just look it up on amazon, Thailand has something like it there.

      Delete
    2. Contact Bubu timara on fb. She supplies the us and uk as well

      Delete
  7. Daniella okeke and her horrible makeup should be crowned queen of supporters club. She came on stage so many times that I started getting confused cos she wasn't nominated. The thing tire me. Still here wondering how that guy Sambisa Nzeribe won best actor over RMD, Ramsey, Olu Jacobs and Femi Jacobs. The part I hated most was those dancers forming Fela protégé. All in all, that show was boring. Ehen, Aunty Mercy Aigbe after asking us to guess your gown colour to the AMVCAs, you did not attend.

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  8. Replies
    1. The number1 dress is cheap ABA fabric nothing lovely Biko. Though Reedee's dress I no understand u can't compare !

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  9. AMVCA even sold there tickets /Iv for the first time in history.that tells you something.moreso they are very partial,how can 76 win against 93 days.Dats a big lie.we have had too many independence movies,76 is just another naija history probably in another version or faces,93 tells a ground breaking story of Ebola and how it was curtailed.remember the Ebola thing really made a history that time and Nigeria was seeing in a very good light.,especially Lagos state,the state really managed it and it disappeared in no time.we were all over the news both home and abroad.,in a long time people have to see our country in a positive way.I will choose that movie over 76 a million times.,moreso aunty Rita as usual had to cart the award away.hmmmmm.abeg I no smell fish I.bye bye

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  10. This person writes very badly..very boring read, please go get lessons from Mr Abati.

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  11. I concur on that supporters club own, Charles you know Nollywood people are ass lickers and funny enough they hate themselves so much, Ebele Okaro was called and those goats Dkd,Christabel the horrible actress and other actors just jumped up and went on stage just to be noticed with mama Ebele Okaro, it looked really childish, this year,s own was not interesting.

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    Replies
    1. If they don't support you'll talk. They should show loyalty and support.

      Moreover why did they come out for Finke Akindele bello the second time

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  12. Pat Egwurumbe's daughter is Sharon Ooja a.k.a Shalewa of Skinny girl in transit. Please leave my Sharon for me 😝 Na so her body dey hot 😂

    *scrolls back to continue*

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  13. That David Jones sniffing was very irritating though!! I come dey wonder say na play abi him dey serious? Hianest!

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  14. Charles Novia, it will not pass you. Bitter angry and jealous. You're never recognized in AMVCA that's why every year, you have bad things to say about it. Please go and organize your own award let's see how it will be; mumu. Stella all those things wey u write na past glory! Charles with his Low Class movies. This years AMVCA was spectacular except Helen Paul spoilt it with her ugly dress.

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  15. Who asked you Oga Charles?

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  16. For all I know it was better than the heedies awards

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  17. I kinda agree with Mr Charles Novia. This year's Edition was boring, just there. Blame it largely on the Economy. Hope they do better next year.

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  18. Very detailed. Another nice one from Oga Charles.

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  19. I just knew it must be Mr Charles Novia, didn't bother to read.

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  20. Abeg owu touch this year Amvca,five people lodged in a room instead of two people in the past in Eko hotel.I just jejely go my house after party.com see how people dey drag small chops.drinks sef no dey.na so so ice full vodka.e con dey be like say person dey sip water.chai

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  21. Rita looks like she lost a bit too much weight...not her best look

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    Replies
    1. I think she looked beautiful that night. Her dress,her make up. Everything!

      It's just that this particular picture didnt do her justice. She looked thin and the angle of her head in this picture is something I don't think Is humanly possible and neither do I understand it. Lol

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    2. TGW her makeup wasn't good especially the eyelash, very funny eyelash

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  22. Reedee must be ketoing... See the face lift nah, any Keto Sis in the house?

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  23. Watch it,nothing spectacular about the night...it was just der

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  24. Mr know it all Charles...The best actor winner was "sambasa Nzeribe.....Sambissa is where boko boys were chilling.

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  25. I quite agree with him this time ... especially high point been Zeburdaya (Chief Chika Okpala's) award and speech and him acknowledging Nkem Owoh as a writer of New masquerade... an info we didn't know!!
    How that guy won best actor over those veterans I don't understand especially as the movie he won it for wasn't even amongst the top movies for that award.
    Mehn that David Jones guy and his sniffing was just an irritant!
    And the supporters club sha!!
    Though Rita Dominic is my person, wanted Bimbo Akintola to win for best actress and I feel 93 movie should have gotten more accolades than it did.
    All in all, not bad for 5yrs of AMVCA... As for Mr Charles Novia I can see a subtle comparison bye our AMVCA and the Oscars but hey we are 5yrs and they are 89yrs ... we will get there with our award shows

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