Popular comic actor Nkem Owoh alias Osuofia has been voted Africa's best actor in a leading role by the Jury of the UBA-African Movie Academy Award (UBA-AMAA). The Hyginus Ekwuazi led jury of the 2008 edition of the award which held at the Hilton Hotel, Abuja named Owoh the winner of the coveted acting crest for his role in the hi-comedy Stronger than Pain featuring Nigeria's Kate Henshaw-Nuttal and Ebube Nwagbo. Interestingly, Kate Henshaw Nuttal, Owoh's sparing partner in the flick equally received the crest for Africa's best actress in a leading role.

But it was Ghana that dominated the award proceedings that was spiced with a lot of musical and stand up comic performances. The Ghananian entry Run Baby Run by Emmanuel Apea was the jury choice for the big prizes of Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screen Play. Two Nigerian movies-Across the Niger as directed by Izu Ojukwu and the Amstel Malta box office hit White Water which Izu Ojukwu also directed recieved multiple awards. While Across the Niger clinched the Heart of Africa Award for the Best Nigerian movie in the AMAA and the award for Special Effects, Izu Ojukwu's White Water was the jury's favourite for Best Upcoming Actor, Sound and Cinematography. For the first time in the AMAA, two joint winners-Hoodsunk and OC Ukeje emerged in the best upcoming actor category for their roles in White Water.

Although Dr. Hyginus Ekwuazi, Chair of the AMAA jury noted in a jury statement that there has been tremedous improvement in the quality of productions, the film scholar, teacher and former Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) maintained that the filmmakers are way behind in the technical areas of sound, music and set design. Earlier Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Dr. Aliyu Moddibo had commended the organisers of the AMAA award for their resilience and doggedness. Dr. Moddibo said he was inspired by the success of the AMAA and the Nigerian Motion Picture Industry to approve the allocation of a 50 hectare parcel of land for the development of a film village. The Minister who described the AMAA as a truly Pan-African event assured that the foundation laying stone of the film village will be performed before the end of September 2008.

by Shaibu Husseini (Abuja)