Two SA films are doing the country proud at the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards
|||Munya Vomo
While there is a race row going on concerning the upcoming Oscars, Africa is doing just fine. We still have a long way to go with regards to TV and film-making, but we are getting there. If the annual Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards are anything to go by, it is clear that the quality of our films is improving each year.
This year’s nominees might only have given nods to two South African films, but they were nominated in many categories. The two films, the critically-acclaimed Ayanda and the ground-breaking Tell Me Sweet Something, which did relatively well in South Africa, garnered seven nominations each and with that alone we will be well represented.
Trish Malone, who wrote Ayanda, stands a good chance of bringing it back home because hers is a refreshing story about a South African girl trying to save a family business and the relationships that came with it. It has the texture that is needed for these kinds of stories and is also a refreshing shift from the usual sad stories we always get.
From the word on Malone’s pages to the film is usually a delicate process, but thanks to Louisa Calore (nominated for Best Make-Up Artist), the actors look convincing. Every drop of sweat, every scar or pimple, if need be, was Calore’s job and she nailed it. She managed to get the actors’ look and emotions even before they started acting.
Then there is Fulu Mugovhani, who rightfully got the nod for Best Actress in a Drama. She carries the film as the lead actress, meaning that the bulk of its success is due to her. She has been in other productions such as The Lion King and Scandal, but nothing quite as big as this. Mugovhani delicately handled the film in a way few 25-year-olds would have. The person she might want to look out for is Nigeria’s acting royalty, Genevieve Nnaji.
Tell Me Sweet Something is something that writer/director, Akin Omotoso, dreamt up a few years ago but only made last year. Although it had mixed reactions in South African reviews, it managed to impress the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards so much that it bagged many awards. Omotoso, a veteran actor, got the nod in the Best Director category for a film whose subject matter hadn’t quite been tapped in Africa.
Talented actress Thisiwe Ziqubu was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress in the movie whose leads were Maps Maphonyane and Nomzamo Mbatha. Paul Michaelson’s cinematography skills paid off as he was nominated for Best Cinematographer alongside Ayanda’s Jonathan Kovel.
It will be an intriguing showcase when two of our best products will not only fight against the rest, but against each other, to amass as many awards as possible.
The Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, take place March 7 in Nigeria. Will air live on Africa Magic channels.