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The Ghanaian cast and crew of critically acclaimed movie ‘Beasts of No Nation’ received a glowing tribute from actor Idris Elba over the weekend at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards.

During Elba’s acceptance speech for his ‘Male Actor in a Supporting Role’ award, the actor praised his colleagues for their efforts at making the film what it is. Idris played the role of a commander of mercenary unit that recruited child soldiers.

“The Ghanaian cast and crew were incredible. They worked so hard… and I’m really proud” He said.

The Ghanaian cast and crew include Abraham Attah , Ama K. Abebrese, Fred Amugi and Grace Nortey.

Attah played the lead role of Agu, who when civil war tears his family apart, is forced to join a unit of mercenary fighters and transformed into a child soldier.

Attah won Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor at Venice Film Festival 2015, and ‘Rising Star Award’ at the Black Fim Critics Circle (BFCC).  The award scheme called Attah’s role as “one of the strongest and most phenomenal we have ever seen” and added that he had “a very bright future ahead of him”.The movie is based on the 2005 novel of the same title by Uzodinma Iweala. It was directed by Emmy Award-winning Cary Fukunaga, and the first fictional feature produced and distributed by Streaming Service Netflix.

The movie was premiered in Ghana last year. Before that, it premiered on Netflix and in selected Theaters in The United States of America on October 16.

It was screened at number of prestigious film festivals including Venice, BFI London and Toronto International Film Festival.