As announced by Dr. Busola Tejumola, MultiChoice’s Executive Head of Content and Channels (West Africa), during a press conference last week, the annual Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award’s (AMVCA) nomination will be announced on 23rd, March 2025. Scheduled to be a live broadcast, the nomination announcement which will take place by 7:00pm WAT will determine the list of filmmakers and films that will, in weeks to come, be described with the tagline: AMVCA-nominated filmmaker or AMVCA-nominated film. Now in its second decade, the audience-leaning award show is positioning itself as a credible award show that film lovers and informed audiences can keenly look forward to. The award body started this leaning last year by disenfranchising mostly uneducated audiences from deciding winners of key categories. This, of course, meant that films like Over the Bridge, Mami Wata, even Breath of Life had a chance to clinch an award or more.
In pursuing that tiny sense of seriousness and credibility, the award body courtesy of Femi Odugbemi, the returning Head of Jury, announced the addition of a new category: Best Music Score. Thus, this year there will be a total of 28 categories. 18 of those categories are non-voting categories. They include the technical aspect of filmmaking which will be judged by the jury. The other categories are, in the AMVCA’s signature popularity contest, where the audience gets to play judge and decide the fate of films and filmmakers.
The AMVCA has constantly drummed its Pan-African’s stance into willing ears even if its nominees and winners’ portfolio proves otherwise. The awarding body has said submissions get received across the continent and diaspora. Going through the previous nomination list, scanty non-Nigerian names and films compete in its key categories. And, as this prediction list will reveal, this list is exclusively Nigerian. Why that’s the case isn’t the purpose of this article. However, ahead of the awards show, in a bid to provide enjoyable distractions, here are my predictions:
Best Film
The Weekend
A Ghetto Love Story
Wives On Strike 3
Kill Boro
With Difficulty Comes Ease
House Of Ga’a
Other contenders: House of Ga’a, Lisabi, Suspicion, Everybody Loves Jenifa,
Daniel Oriahi’s The Weeknd and Korede Azeez’s With Difficulty Comes Ease will likely lead the fold if artistic merits are considered. Courage Obayuwa’s Kill Boro and Omoni Oboli’s Wives on Strike 3 are definitely competing partners. To pacify the audience, Funke Akindele’s Everybody Loves Jenifa and Bolanale Austen-Peters’ House of Ga’a will fervently be next in line attracting some interesting attention.
Except last year, the AMVCA hasn’t been one to place critical acclaim over commercial success and virality. But, with the tiny but noticeable change it seems to be embracing, one can hope that the deeply-moving With Difficulty Comes Ease and thrilling The Weekend have a fair standing chance if they were submitted by the filmmakers. As expected, Everybody Loves Jenifa will have its lovers, but, against popular opinion, I am sticking it for the last spot.
Best Director
Korede Azeez – With Difficulty Comes Ease
Taiwo Egunjobi – A Green Fever
Ifeoma Nkiruka Chukwuogo – Phoenix Fury
Daniel Oriahi – The Weekend
Omoni Oboli – Wives On Strike 3
Courage Obayuwana – Kill Boro
Other contenders: Ramsey Nouah – Tokunbọ̀, Kayode Kasum’s Afamefuna
Sadly, if you didn’t attend the African International Film Festival(AFRIFF) to watch Ifeoma Nkiruka Chukwuogo’s Phoenix Fury, you might, understandably, not recognise its place on this prediction list. But, for those who caught it at AFRIFF where it won Best Film and Best Director, you immediately understand its place here. Azeez’s With Difficulty Comes Ease, Oriahi’s The Weekend and Oboli’s Wives on Strike 3 have received rubber-stamped approval from critics. It has also received a welcoming embrace of random film watchers. This proves its fighting chance for a nomination.
Best Writing
Korede Azeez, With Difficulty Comes Ease
Isaac Ayodeji, A Green Fever
Ifeoma Nkiruka Chukwuogo – Phoenix Fury
Egbemawei Sammy, Vanessa Kanu, and Frederick O. Anyaegbunam – The Weekend
Priye Diri and Kester Nsirim – Kill Boro
Cheta Chukwu – Wives On Strike 3
Other contestants: Tunde Babalola – House Of Ga’a, Victoria Eze – A Ghetto Love Story
At this point, readers of this predication list would have noticed the constant repetition of some names and films. It isn’t an aimless or unfounded “repetition.” For readers who have seen With Difficulty Comes Ease and Wives of Strike 3, they will not just appreciate but respect the depth of thought that went into creating the story, fleshing out characters and building a world. Keen Nollywood audiences have subtly and painstakingly complained about the scarcity of reflective moments and dialogues in Nollywood films, but these films are filled with them. Chukwuogo’s Phoenix Fury’s script deserves special attention for its somewhat minimalist writing and smooth-sailing timelines.
Perhaps to commend its cultural importance, I will be absent-mindlessly throwing Tunde Babalola’s House Of Ga’a into the list.
Best Lead Actor
Gideon Okeke – Tokunbọ̀
Bucci Franklin – The Weekend
Akah Nnani – A Ghetto Love Story
Philip Asaya – Kill Boro
Kosi Ogboruche – Kill Boro
Femi Branch – House Of Ga’a
Other contestants: Lateef Adedimeji – Lisabi
There has been an unending conversation about what makes acting good. This underlines that there’s average, good, bearable, and exceptionally good performances. However, back to the conversation. There have been enthusiastic responses to this question and a recurring theme in the responses is the acceptance of acting as an emotional journey as actors take themselves and viewers on.
Thinking about it, there might be serious consideration for Gideon Okeke’s role in Tokunbọ̀. Bucci Franklin has also always found a way to appease acting gods with each outing and this wasn’t different. Although Philip Asaya’s role subtly monopolised attention in Kill Boro, Kosi Ogboruche equally commanded attention as the timid but scheming child. Femi Branch’s performance as Bashorun Ga’a might be timidly endearing but, it might surprise us by making the list or possibly winning.
Best Lead Actress
Uzoamaka Aniunoh – With Difficulty Comes Ease
Hilda Dokubo – Wives On Strike 3
Ini Dima Okojie – Kill Boro
Beverly Osu – A Ghetto Love Story
Temi Ami-Williams – The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos
Tosin Adeyemi – House Of Ga’a
There’s no doubt that Uzoamaka Aniunoh’s performance as the layered Zainab in With Difficulty Comes Ease isn’t deserving of being nominated. All through the film’s length, she held us captive to her gaze, movement, non-movement, utterances, action and non-actions. We follow her because we believe her. Zainab, played by Tosin Adeyemi in House of Ga’a can snatch a nomination even if the writing and character development is frugal in giving her resources to work with. In the festival circuit, we have
Aniunoh, again, and Temi Ami-Williams’ role in The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos as worthy contenders.
Other contestants: Uzoamaka Aniunoh – Phoenix Fury, Uzoamaka Aniunoh – The Weekend, Funlola Aofiyebi-Raimi – Tokunbọ̀
Best Supporting Actress
Onyinye Odokoro – Phoenix Fury
Dorothy Bachor – A Ghetto Love Story
Meg Otanwa – The Weekend
Roseline ‘Liquorose’ Afije – Lisabi
Teniola Aladese – The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos
Other conenstants: Adunni Ade – Tokunbọ̀, Ama K. Abebrese – Phoenix Fury
Understanding Aniunoh’s character naiveness in Phoenix Fury means patiently studying Odokoro’s character’s firmness. The character brings a sturdy and firm atmosphere which Odokoro’s performance carries. There is a nurturing attention and care that Aladese’s performance gives The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos. The AMVCA has thrived on surprises, so, I am bracing myself up for possible surprises.
Best Supporting Actor
Chidi Mokeme – Tokunbọ̀
Debo ‘Mr Macaroni’ Adedayo – Lisabi
Greg Ojefua – Kill Boro
Ibrahim Chatta – Lisabi
Jide ‘Jblaze’ Oyegbile – House Of Ga’a
Alphonse Menyo – Phoenix Fury
Other contestants: Debo ‘Mr Macaroni’ Adedayo – The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos, Stanley ‘Funnybone’ Chibunna – Tokunbọ̀.
Mokeme might have possibly given a once-in-a-life time performance as Scar in Shanty Town. The stuttering and cocky confidence he exudes depending on his audience gives room for an excellent performance. This has meant, for the actor, more violence-incline roles. And, he isn’t lacking with that in Tokunbọ̀.
Best Costume Design
Lisabi
With Difficulty Comes Ease
Phoenix Fury
House Of Ga’a
Wives On Strike 3
Farmer’s Bride
The Weekend
Phoenix Fury’s costume design accommodated us into the different historical setting the director wanted us to go to. The airport, apartments, clubs, clothing and even kitchen utensils are painstakingly picked to reflect distinct historical epochs. Farmer’s Bride’s costume design follows suits in this pedantic attention to details too.
Other contestants: Kill Boro, Queen Lateefah, Everybody Loves Jenifa
Best Cinematography
Phoenix Fury
Kill Boro
Lisabi
The Legend of the Vagabond Queen of Lagos
The Weekend
Farmer’s Bride
Other contestants: A Ghetto Love Story, House Of Ga’a
If you’re claustrophobic, you might derive unlimited pleasure from the mostly claustrophobic setting of Farmer’s Bride. Mostly set in a single location, the cinematography handled by Emmanuel Igbekele defeated those confined spaces by constantly finding new angles to shoot from. So, even if we are mostly in a room or a house, we are seeing it anew through Igbekele’s lens.
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