Organizers of the African Movie Academy
Awards demonstrated courage and
independence Saturday night when they
declared banned film, Fuelling Poverty, winner
of the Best Documentary Category of the 2013
edition of the awards held in Yenagoa, the
Bayelsa State capital.
The hall erupted in thunderous cheers after the
documentary, which was banned two weeks
ago by the Nigerian government, was
pronounced winner, in an event which had top
government officials in attendance.
The Minister of Tourism and Culture, Edem
Duke, the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake
Dickson, and other government officials at the
event looked on helplessly as the organizers
declared Fuelling Poverty (Nigeria) as having
prevailed over Gun To Tape (South
Africa), Swimming The Zambezi (South
Africa), Give Me Back My Home (Kenya),
and The African Cypher Fly On The Wall (South
Africa).
“This is an humiliation for the Nigerian
government,” says Femi Falade, an Ijebu-Ode
based writer and media consultant. “It is a
shame that a man the government declared a
person non grata is now being lavishly
celebrated right in President Goodluck
Jonathan’s home state.”
Micro blogging site, twitter, went agog with
praise tweets immediately the documentary
was announced winner in its category.
Ace movie producer, Charles Novia
( @charlesnovia), was among the first to
tweet. ”#FuellingPoverty just won an AMAA
award for ‘Best Documentary’. Vindication!” he
tweeted.
Others tweeted as follows:
Yunusxonline: Banned Fueling poverty wins
best documentary at AMAA awards @rosanwo
PeluAwofeso: #AMAA2013: “Best Documentary:
Fueling Poverty/Nigeria. So the fuel protest was
worth it after all.”
The film, produced by Ishaya Bako in
patnership with the Open Society Initiative for
West Africa (OSIWA), was banned by the
Nigerian government on April 8 after the
Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board, NFVCB,
declared it a national threat, saying it
was “highly provocative and likely to incite or
encourage public disorder and undermine
national security”.
The NFVCB therefore warned Mr. Bako to desist
from distributing the film, a move described by
critics as anti- democratic and a descent into the
Gestapo style of clamping down on the media
adopted during military regimes.
But before then, on March 15, it had been
nominated for the AMAA, a highly competitive
and arguably the most important African film
event and awards. The film, also witnessed a
massive spike in viewership on YouTube, a
video sharing website.
After PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported the
ban, activists on social media had urged
Nigerians to go to the video sharing site to
watch the documentary.
The call received massive compliance as the
film rose from a low popularity level of about
five thousand views to 46, 397 views,
a development analysts and media rights
activists have said might have been impossible
if the NFVCB had let the film be.
The Federal Government “made a serious
mistake,” Tive Denedo, the Campaign Director
of the Media Rights Agenda said, “More people
will now want to see the film.”
The AMAA Awards, which is currently ongoing
in Bayelsa has Pete Edochie, Tunde Kelani,
Emem Isong, Kanayo O. Kanayo, and Kenneth
Okonkwo honoured with the Lifetime
Achievement Award.

Find More Winners Below
Best Actress in a leading role — Florence
Masebe
Best actor in a leading role — Justice Esiri
Best actor in supporting role — Gabriel
Afolayan
Best Promising Actor Award — Belinda Efah for
Kokoma (Nigeria)
Best Screenplay — Heroes and Zeroes
Lifetime achievement award — Pete Edochie,
Eddie Ugboma, Osita Okeke, Tunde Kelani
Best Film by Africans Abroad — Last Flight To
Abuja by Obi Emelonye for his film
Best Documentary — Fueling Poverty (Nigeria)
Best Short Film — Akosua Adoma Owusu by
Kwaku Ananse (Ghana)
Best Nigerian Film Winner: Confusion Na Wa
Best Costume Design — Blood And Henna
Best Achievement in Sound Winner — Nairobi
Half Life (Kenya
Best Achievement in Soundtrack Winner — The Last Fishing Boat (Malawi)
Best Diaspora Feature Winner — Stones In The Sun (Haiti/USA)
Best Achievement in Cinematography Winner
— Uhlanga, The Mark
Best Achievement in Editing Winner — Heroes
And Zeroes by Niji Akanni
Achievement In Lightning Winner — Moi
Zaphira
Best Actress in A Supporting Role — Hermelinda Cimela (Virgin Magarida)
Best Promising Actor (Joint Winner) — Joseph
Wairimu (Nairobi Half Life)
Best Child Actor Winning Movie: The Ugandan
Best Director Winner: Niji Akanni for the movie “Heroes And Zeroes
Best Picture — Confusion Na Wa, By Kenneth
Gyang



More to Follow…

It didn't even stop it from circulating in the local market.