The founder of the Africa Film Academy left indelible prints on Nigerian and African cinema and will be sorely missed.
I attended my first Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in 2009 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. It was the fifth edition, and I was unimpressed with the awards ceremony. I wrote a critical report and was also unsparing of Nigerian films that had a poor outing as the Kenyan movie, ‘From a Whisper,’ took the prizes that matter. It took the Best Director, Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Original Soundtrack and Best Edited gongs.
After reading the report published in the rested NEXT Newspaper, a colleague, Femi Salawu, sent a message noting my rather harsh tones. But I was unperturbed; I needed to hold the organisers’ feet to the fire, I reasoned. Five years was enough for a Pan-African movie award to have ironed out its kinks and hold a flawless ceremony.
Rather than take offence at the uncomplimentary report, especially as I was her guest alongside other journalists, the founder, Peace Maria Ogechi Anyiam-Osigwe (MFR), who passed on Monday, remained calm. Unlike some Nigerian creatives with thin skins who will keep malice or threaten physical harm for pointing out their flaws, she took my criticisms right on the chin.
Weeks after the ceremony in Yenagoa, she met my editor, Molara Wood and me over lunch. She patiently explained the enormous financial and logistics nightmare organisers contend with, moving people from across Africa first to Lagos, then Port Harcourt and finally Yenagoa. I marveled at her ability to remain calm under pressure but realised that criticism is cheap; organising an event like AMAA was no tea party! Money coming in at the last minute and then mobilising vendors who had little time to put things in place.
Commendably, AMAA has proved to be an enabler of professionalism and success for motion picture practitioners; winning an AMAA catapults winners to a new height in their careers.
The mutual professional respect for each other grew after this; a vital lesson I took away from that incident was her generosity of spirit. It was striking as it was amazing! If she had borne grudges, I wouldn’t have won the maiden AMAA Media Recognition Award in 2014. Though the prize had a jury comprising eminent professionals, she could have meddled if she wanted. Apart from her incredible spirit, Madam Peace, as we called her, also gave her resources and contacts freely.
Most importantly, she was a builder of individuals and institutions. Her burning desire to tell authentic positive African stories through motion pictures and improve filmmakers on the continent led to the founding of the Africa Film Academy (AFA), the brand owner of AMAA. One of AFA’s key initiatives is the Film-in-a-Box project that trains interested persons in all forms of filmmaking. Training was sacrosanct to Madam Peace, and she partnered with several state governments to develop young people in filmmaking. In 2021, AFA launched the 100 Film Project to empower young creatives as part of efforts to tackle unemployment and help people make movies that meet international standards.
“To tackle the perennial unemployment many youths face, we at African Film Academy are committed to creating a platform that gives African creative voices and access to the global market. We believe this can be achieved through partnerships and collaborations with big brands across the continent. Thus, we introduce our 100 Film Project as our next project targeted at the creative industry and increasing brand value,” said Abiola Durodola, a member of AMAA and coordinator of the initiative disclosed that year.
Last year, AFA trained 860 students sponsored by the Lagos State Government from Epe, Alimosho and Badagry as part of job creation efforts and combating youth restiveness. They had a colourful graduation ceremony that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu attended.
The Ada of the Anyiam-Osigwe family was also very well connected and used her connections to always advocate for the film industry and its players. The tributes from eminent Nigerians since her passing attests to this. At an event tagged, ‘The Lagos Constellation of Stars’ Governor Sanwo-Olu hosted in support of the 15th Headies last year, the lawyer, one of the few who spoke, appreciated his support for the arts.
She said, “I want to thank you from the film and creative industry for all you’ve been doing and for all the youth you’ve been empowering. We have been on the road for the past three months, and it’s been amazing. The talent is there, and nurturing that talent means that the world hasn’t seen what Lagos can offer yet. We are only just beginning, and with the way you’ve been nurturing and supporting them right from the grassroots, I know that what we are doing in Lagos is sustainable. Thank you for seeing what many people in Nigeria don’t see in the creative industry.”
The service in her blood also made her aspire to the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) leadership, as she was passionate about the professionalisation and growth of film industry guilds and associations. She became the president of the body in 2020. She later emerged as Chair of the Federation of Nollywood Guilds / Associations (FRENGAN) in 2022.
The Ada of the Anyiam-Osigwe family was an institutionalist. That is, one who believes in having structures, strategies and plans for all one wants to do. During the 2009 interaction, she disclosed that she wanted both AFA and AMAA to outlive her, making them self-running bodies independent of her.
The legacies of the woman her family described as “an outstanding personality, trailblazer, titan, pathfinder, go-getter, humanitarian, one-of-a-kind creative, and visionary leader in the film and television industry” will live on. She played a vital role in uplifting the professional competencies of filmmakers through her emphasis on quality content development. Her contributions to film policy development are also commendable. Most importantly, she walked her talk as she had personal productions, including ‘A Piece of my Mind’. Her towering legacy will surely outlive her.
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