<<Print>>Ghanaian film, ‘The Burial of Kojo’, picked two awards at the 2019 edition of the Africa Movie Academy Awards held at the Landmark event centre in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday.
The film’s director, Blitz Bazawule, took an award for Best Director-First Feature Film category, while young actress Cynthia Dankwa was also adjudged Best Young/Promising Actor for her role as Esi in ‘The Burial of Kojo’.
They were the only Ghanaian winners at the ceremony, after five Ghanaian films secured various nominations for the award ceremony.
They included; The Burial of Kojo, Azali, The Fisherman, Before the Vows and the short film, Vagabonds.
The Burial of Kojo had 10 nominations in categories including Best Achievement in Production Design; Best Achievement in Make-Up; Best Achievement in Visual Effects; Best Achievement in Sound; Best Achievement in Cinematography; Best Achievement in Editing.
Burial of Kojo tells the story of Kojo (Joseph Otsiman), who is left to die in an abandoned gold mine, as his young daughter Esi (newcomer Cynthia Dankwa) travels through a spirit land to save him.
The film was produced by Blitz Bazawule, Ama Abebrese and Kwaku Obeng Boateng.
It had its world premiere in New York on September 21, 2018, at the Urban World Film Festival, where it was recognized as Best Narrative Feature (World Cinema).
See the full list of winners at AMAA 2019 below...
1. Michael Anyiam Osigwe Award For Best Film by an African-Born Director Living Abroad
1. Julius Amedume – Rattlesnakes (WINNER)
2. Tosin Coker – Lara and the Beats
3. Robert O. Peters – Makeroom
2. Best Diaspora Short Film
1. Bail (UK) (WINNER)
2. Oath Bound (UK)
3. Fevah (USA)
4. I Am Superman (Brazil)
3. Best Diaspora Documentary
1. Wax Print 1 FABRIC, 4 continent (UK)
2. The Guardian of No Return (Guadalope)
3. Dare to Dream (USA/CUBA)
4. Drugs as Weapons Against Us (USA)
5. My Friend Fela (Brazil) (WINNER)
4. Best Diaspora Narrative Feature
1. Nine Nights (UK)
2. Olympia (USA)
3. Traffik (US)
4. Hero (Trinidad and Tobago/Canada) (WINNER)
5. Sprinter (Jamaica)
5. Best Achievement in Production Design
1. Redemption (Mozambique) (WINNER)
2. Rafiki (Kenya)
3. Ellen, The Ellen Parkies Stories (S. Africa)
4. Urgent (Morroco)
5. Burial of Kojo (Ghana)
6. Sew the Winter to My Skin (S. Africa)
7. Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda)
8. Delivery Boy (Nigeria)
6. Best Achievement in Costume Design
1. Sew the Winter to My Skin (S. Africa)
2. Light in the Dark (Nigeria)
3. Rafiki (Kenya)
4. King of Boys (Nigeria)
5. Lara and the Beats (Nigeria)
6. Urgent (Morocco)
7. Mabata Bata (Mozambique)
Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda) (WINNER)
7. Best Achievement in Make-Up
1. Makeroom (Nigeria)
2. Gold Statue (Nigeria)
3. Veronica’s Wish (Uganda)
4. Sew the Winter to My Skin (S. Africa)
5. Before the Vows (GHANA)
6. Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda) (WINNER)
7. The Burial of Kojo (Ghana)
8. Best Achievement in Soundtrack
1. Subira (Kenya)
2. Mabata Bata (Mozambique) (WINNER)
3. Farewell Ella Bella (S. AFRICA)
4. Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda)
5. Sew the Winter to My Skin (S. Africa)
6. Lara and the Beats (Nigeria)
7. The Delivery Boy (Nigeria)
8. Redemption (Mozambique)
9. Best Achievement in Visual Effects
1. Makeroom (Nigeria)
2. Sew the Winter to My Skin (S. Africa)
3. Knockout Blessing (Nigeria) (WINNER)
4. Mabata Bata (Mozambique)
5. The Delivery Boy (Nigeria)
6. The King of Boys (Nigeria)
7. Burial of Kojo (Ghana)
10. NFVCB Award For Best Nigerian Film
1. The Delivery Boy
2. Lara and the Beats
3. Makeroom
4. King of Boys (WINNER)
5. Gold Statute
6. Up North
7. Knockout Blessing
11. Best Documentary
1. Djambar, Sembene the Unsubmissive (Cameroun)
2. The State Against Mandela (South Africa)
3. Golden Fish, African Fish (Senegal)
4. Skin (Nigeria)
5. Khartoum Offside (Sudan) (WINNER)
6. Le loups d’or de Balole (Burkina Faso)
7. Sur Les Traces de Mamani Abdoulaye (Niger)
8. No Gold For Katsaka (Burkina Faso)
9. Mother, I am Suffocating, This Is My Last Film About You (Lesotho)
12. Ousmane Sembene Award For Best Film in an African Language
1. Makeroom (Nigeria)
2. Mabata Bata (Mozambique)
3. Rafiki (Kenya) (WINNER)
4. Bahasha -The Envelope (Tanzania)
5. Azali (Ghana)
13. Efere Ozako Award For Best Short Film
1. The Fisherman (Ghana)
2. A Tune of Kora (SENEGAL) (WINNER)
3. ICYASHA (Rwanda)
4. NAMOW2018 (KENYA)
5. Vagabond (GHANA)
6. Measure of a Woman (SA)
7. Mma Moeketsi (SA)
8. Motswakwa (BOTSWANA)
9. Tonight’s Opening Act (EGYPT)
10. Hello Rain (NIGERIA)
14. Best Achievement in Sound
1. The Last Victim (S. Africa)
2. Sew the Winter to My Skin (S. Africa)
3. Makeroom (Nigeria)
4. The Delivery Boy (Nigeria)
5. The Burial of Kojo (Ghana)
6. Urgent (Morocco)
7. Mabata Bata (Mozambique) (WINNER)
8. Redemption (Mozambique)
15. Best Achievement in Cinematography
1. Mabata Bata (Mozambique)
2. Sew the Winter to My Skin (S. Africa) (WINNER)
3. Mother, I am Suffocating, This Is My Last Film About You (Lesotho)
4. Redemption (Mozambique)
5. Rafiki (Kenya)
6. Delivery Boy (Nigeria)
7. The Burial of Kojo (Ghana)
8. Redemption (Mozambique)
16. Best Achievement in Editing
1. The Delivery Boy (Nigeria)
2. The Burial of Kojo (Ghana)
3. The Last Victim (S. Africa)
4. Rafiki (Kenya) (WINNER)
5. The Gold Statute (Nigeria)
6. Diamond in the Sky (Nigeria)
7. Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda)
8. Sew The Winter To My Skin (S. Africa)
17. Best Achievement in Screenplay
1. The Delivery Boy (Nigeria)
2. The Last Victim (S. Africa)
3. Rafiki (Kenya)
4. Diamond in the Sky (Nigeria)
5. Gold Statute (Morocco)
6 Lara and the Beats (Nigeria)
7. Redemption (Mozambique) (WINNER)
8. Up North (Nigeria)
18. Best Animation
1. Kitwana Journey – Kenya
2. Choices – Nigeria (WINNER)
3. Isolated- Kenya
4. Afrogames – Burkina Faso
19. Best Young/Promising Actor
1. Youssef Alaoui (Ayoub) URGENT
2. Angel Onyinyechi Unigwe (Adaeze) LIGHT IN THE DARK
3. Cynthia Dankwa (Esi) BURIAL OF KOJO (WINNER)
4. Emilio Bilo (Azarias) Mabata Bata
5. Jamma Ibrahim (Amir) The Delivery Boy
6. Catherine Credo (Neema) Fatuma
20. Best Actor in a Supporting Role
1. Remilekun “Reminisce” Sarafu (Makanaki) King of Boys
2. Jarrid Geduld 9 (Abie) Ellen, The Ellen Parkies Story (WINNER)
3. Zolisa Xaluva (Wyatt Earp) Sew the Winter to my Skin
4. Kanayo O. Kanyayo (Chief Otuekong) Up North
5. Kobina Amissah-Sam (Kwabina) The Burial of Kojo
6. Bucci Franklyn (Dagogo) Knockout Blessing
21. Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1. Eniola Shobayo (Vivian) Knockout Blessing
2. Linda Ejiofer (Oby) Knockout Blessing
3. Kandyse McClure (Golden Eyes) Sew the Winter to My Skin
4. Adesua Etomi (Kemi) The King of Boys (WINNER)
5. Joke Silva (Mama Jumoke) Light in the Dark
6. Arlete Bombe (Mia) Redemption
22. Best Actor in a Leading Role
1. Gabriel Afolayan Gold Statue
2. Joseph Otsiman (Kojo) The Burial of Kojo
3. Chinedu Ikedieze (Big Chi) Lara and the Beats
4. Jimmy Jean Louis (Robert McQueen) Rattlesnakes
5. Gil Alexandre (Bruno) Redemption
6. Marc Zinga ( )Mercy of the Jungle) (WINNER)
7. Ezra Mabengeza (Samson) Sew The Winter To My Skin
8. Ayoub Bombwe ( Mwanyusi ) Fatuma
23. Best Actress in a Leading Role
1. Sheila Munyiva (Ziki) Rafik
2. Rita Dominic (Jumoke Arinze) Light in the Dark
3. Jill Levenberg (Ellen) The Ellen Parkies Story
4. Beatrice Taisamo (Fatuma) Fatuma
5. Seyi Shay (Lara) Lara and the Beats
6. Sola Sobowale (Eniola) King of Boys (WINNER)
7. Jemima Osunde (Nkem) The Delivery Boy
8. Samantha Mugatsia (Kena) Rafiki
24. Best Director-First Feature Film
1. Blitz Bazawule – The Burial of Kojo (Ghana) (WINNER)
2. Adekunle “Nodash” Adejuyigbe – The Delivery Boy (Nigeria)
3. Sippy Chadha – Subira (Tanzania)
4. Nicole Amarteifo – Before the Vows (Ghana)
25. Best Director
1. Wanuri Kahui – Rafiki (Kenya)
2. Adekunle “Nodash” Adejuyigbe – The Delivery Boy (Nigeria)
3. Daryne Joshua -Ellen, The Ellen Parkies Story (S. Africa)
4. Jahmil X. Qubeka – Sew the Winter to My Skin (S. Africa) (WINNER)
5. Kemi Adetiba – King of Boys (Nigeria)
6. Mohcine Besri – Urgent (Morocco)
7. Mickey Fonseca – Redemption (Mozambique)
8. Joël Karekezi- Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda)
26. Best Film
1. Rafiki (Kenya)
2. Mercy of the Jungle (Rwanda) (WINNER)
3. The Delivery Boy (Nigeria)
4. Ellen, The Ellen Parkies Story (S. Africa)
5. Sew the Winter to My Skin (S. Africa)
6. Redemption (Mozambique)
7. King of Boys (Nigeria)
8. Urgent (Morocco)