'How to Steal 2 Million' emerges Africa's best film

South African Charlie Vundla scooped the Best Director gong while his debut film noir thriller How to Steal 2 Million emerged the named Best Film at the 8th Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) held in Lagos, Nigeria Sunday night.

South African actress Terry Pheto is the Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film, which also won the Best Achievement in Editing (Garreth Fradgely).

With four awards, How to Steal 2 Million was the most feted film on the night.

Nigeria’s Benin-set historical epic Adesuwa was a close second with three awards, for Costume Design, Visual Effects, and Best Nigerian Film.

South Africa’s crime drama State of Violence won Best Film in an African Language and Best Achievement in Sound.

Only the third time

Man on Ground, a Nigerian/South African xenophobia-themed coproduction, won the Special Jury Award – given for only the third time since the inception of AMAA – and Best Supporting Actor for South African Fana Mokoena.

Nigeria’s Rita Dominic was named Best Actress for her role in Kenyan film Shattered, while Ghanaian Majid Michel won Best Actor for his role in Somewhere in Africa.

Danny Glover's Toussaint Louverture was named Best Diaspora Film.

Nigeria was the most awarded country on the night, receiving 12 awards, followed closely by South Africa with 10.

AMAA received 328 entries from across Africa in 2012, up from 220 in 2011.

Dr Asantewa Olantunji, director of programming of The Pan African Film Festival, headed this year's jury, which included June Giavanni, programmer for Planet Africa at The Toronto International Film Festival; Keith Shiri, founder and film curator at the London festival, Africa at The Pictures and Dorothee Wenner, a curator at The Berlin Film Festival.

Other judges were Shaibu Husseini, an actor, dancer and The Nigerian Guardian arts journalist; Steve Ayorinde, editor-in-chief of The Daily Mirror; Ayoko Babu, executive director of The Pan African Film Festival; Dr Hyginus Ekwuazi, a film scholar and critic; and directors Berni Goldblat and John Akomfrah, OBE.

"This year may prove to be the beginning of a new era for AMAA. Not only did AMAA witness an unprecedented number of film submissions, from more countries throughout the African continent and its Diaspora, it also witnessed a remarkable increase in the quality of the films submitted," the jury statement said.

'Most impressive'

"From their technical qualities to the acting and directing, the 2012 film slate is most impressive. Indeed, for the jury, the task of selecting the “Best” in each category has been challenging. The competition in most categories was very strong and our decisions reflect much thought and debate.

"The jury is also impressed by the quality and diversity of the storylines of the films presented. The decolonisation of African films and images is well underway. As never before, we see films that tell real stories: inspired by, reflective of and crafted by the people, by whom and for whom they were made.”

Some of the biggest names from black Hollywood were at The AMAAs, including Emmy winner and Golden Globe nominee Lynn Whitfield (The Josephine Baker Story and Without a Trace); Morris Chestnut (American Horror Story, Boyz in the Hood); Rockmond Dunbar (Prison Break, Sons of Anarchy) and Maya Gilbert (General Hospital, Days of Our Lives).