AMAA Budgets N7 Million For Best Director

A whopping sum of 50,000 US dollars (about N7 million) has been budgeted for whoever clinches the category of Best Director and Producer of the Year at the third edition of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). The highly respected award, which is slated for 10 March, 2007, will be hosted by the Bayelsa State Government.

Speaking with NollywoodReel, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AMAA, Mrs. Peace Anyiam Fiberesima, said the third edition of the award has been designed to outshine the previous ones because some companies are participating to make it a success. “It is going to be a well packaged and coordinated award. We have what it takes to encourage producers and directors. We are waiting to decide whether it is going to be a one unit stuff, depending on what the film and its post production is, but in all, the value we are working on is $50,000, which is approximately N7 million for the Best Film in terms of the best director of the film,” she said.

She added that since the AMAA's intention is to empower people and encourage them to do more to uplift the movie industry and Nigeria at large, the organising body will make sure that adequate prizes are given to the winners. “But we should note that the money is not from AMAA itself. AMAA doesn't give money, it's our sponsors that do that,” she stated. Also speaking with NollywoodReel, popular actor and liaison officer of AMAA, Paul Obazele, said: “We have put in place many parameters through which people can get back to us with their opinions. This is because we want to get everybody involved in the decision making. I'm sure this coming edition will be better than the previous ones."