Radio & TV

Africa Magic Appoints Victor Okhai as Head Judge for Eighth AMVCAs

Published

3 months ago

February 24, 2022

Africa Magic, the continent’s leading provider of local entertainment content, has announced the appointment of Nigerian filmmaker, Victor Okhai, as Head Judge of the eighth Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs), billed to hold later this year in Lagos, Nigeria.

Victor Okhai is a seasoned producer, scriptwriter, cinematographer, director and film consultant. He is the current National President of the Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN), founder and Director of IN-Short Film Festival, the biggest short film festival in Sub Saharan Africa, and a member of The Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee (NOSC). He has sat on and headed the jury of several local and international film festivals including The Audio Visual Awards (2009 – 2012), Cairo International Film festival (2009), shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival (2012), The Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (2013) and Ecrans Noir (2018) in Yaounde.

Speaking on Mr. Okhai’s appointment, Executive Head, Content and West Africa Channels, MultiChoice Nigeria, Dr. Busola Tejumola said, “We are delighted to have Mr. Okhai head the nomination and judging process for the eighth edition of the AMVCAs. He brings decades worth of knowledge and experience in the local and international film and TV industry to this critical role. We are certain his involvement in this edition will further reaffirm the AMVCAs’ commitment to professionalism in recognizing and showcasing exceptional works on the continent”.

In 2013, Victor Okhai was nominated as Africa’s foremost film promoter by Tanzania based Africa Film Development Association. He is a board member of the African Film Consortium (AFC) and the Mokolo project, an Africa film database supported by the German foreign Ministry and a member of the National Advisory Committee on film development in Nigeria to the Nigeria Film Corporation.

Commenting on his appointment as Head Judge, Mr. Okhai said: “I am delighted to be appointed Head Judge of the AMVCA for 2022. It is in my view, the most credible and the most glamorous award ceremony on the continent today. You, the viewers, will have a voice in the judging process, experienced industry practitioners will be on the jury and above all, Deloitte will verify and audit the process to guarantee the integrity of the awards. Winning the AMVCA is the ultimate badge of honour and recognition for excellence and hard work.”

Submissions for the eighth edition closed Friday, 28 January 2022 and nominees will be announced on a special broadcast on Africa Magic channels in March.

For this edition, Africa Magic announced a new category for Best Online Social Content Creator and the return of the Best Africa Magic Original Drama Series and Best Africa Magic Original Comedy Series bringing the total number of categories to 33, with 12 open to viewers’ vote and 21 decided by the AMVCA panel of judges. Some of the other categories include Best Movie in Southern, East and West Africa, Best Director and Best Cinematographer.

The eighth edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards is brought to you by Africa Magic in association with MultiChoice and is proudly sponsored by Amstel Malta.

For more information, please visit the official Africa Magic website and follow all official handles of Africa Magic on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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People & Lifestyle

Disney+ now streaming in South Africa

Published

21 hours ago

May 18, 2022

Ameyaw Debrah

Disney+, the streaming service from The Walt Disney Company (https://TheWaltDisneyCompany.com), launches today in South Africa. Standard pricing at launch is confirmed at R119 per month, or R1190 for an annual subscription, with sign-up information available at DisneyPlus.com.

With over 1000 films, more than 1500 series and a slate of 200 exclusive Originals from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and general entertainment from Star, Disney+ offers fans the greatest stories, all in one place.

Previously announced, subscribers will have access to Star Wars’ “The Book of Boba Fett”, both seasons of “The Mandalorian” and, from 27 May, the highly anticipated “Obi-Wan Kenobi”. In addition, Disney+ will be the home of the entire Skywalker saga, with Star WarsEpisodes 1 through 9 streaming on the service.

Confirmed from launch, superhero fans will have access to over 60 Marvel Studios’ films including Academy Award®-nominated “Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings”, “Eternals”, “Avengers: Endgame” and “Captain Marvel”, and over 80 Marvel Studios’ series including “Moon Knight”, “Loki” and “WandaVision”.

Subscribers will also be able to enjoy over 100 titles from Disney and Pixar, including the entire “Toy Story” franchise, the Academy Award®-winning “Soul” and the Academy Award®-nominated “Luca”. From Walt Disney Animation Studios, stream the Academy Award®-winning “Encanto” which tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, and fan favorites “Frozen” and “Frozen 2”. Disney fans can also stream the Academy Award®-winning “Cruella” starring Emma Stone as the legendary “Cruella de Vil” and Disney’s “Jungle Cruise.”

National Geographic documentaries including “The Rescue” and “Free Solo”, from Academy Award®-winning directors and producers E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, will sit alongside popular National Geographic series such as “The World According To Jeff Goldblum” and “Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted”.

In general entertainment, subscribers will also be able to watch titles including the hit original comedy series “Only Murders in the Building,” limited series “Pam and Tommy”, “The Kardashians”, “Queens”, and mystery thriller “Death on the Nile”, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, as well as “The Simpsons” and back seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy”, “9-1-1″, and “Black-ish”.

With unprecedented access to Disney’s vault, beloved classics such as “Cinderella”, “Tangled”, “The Princess and the Frog”, and “The Little Mermaid”, will be available to stream alongside recent blockbusters like “Raya and the Last Dragon”. There will also be hundreds of Disney Channel series, shorts, and specials available to stream, including “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir” and “Phineas and Ferb”.

Users will have access to features like high-quality viewing, up to four concurrent streams, 4k video quality for select titles and the ability to set up to seven different profiles, including the ability for parents to create pin-protected profiles, ensuring kids access age-appropriate content.

Radio & TV

Don’t Sleep On Fame! Big Brother Naija Returns For Seventh Season

Published

3 days ago

May 16, 2022

Ameyaw Debrah

Africa’s biggest reality TV show, Big Brother Naija, is returning for a seventh season!

Announcing its return, MultiChoice has called for entries through online auditions which open on Sunday, 15 May and will close on Monday, 30 May 2022.

Interested participants are expected to record a two-minute video of themselves stating why they should be picked to be a BBNaija season seven housemate. Following this, they are to log on to www.africamagic.tv/BBAudition to fill out the online registration form and upload their videos. The online audition is free and open to interested male and female participants, who are of Nigerian nationality with a valid identity document. They must also be 21 years of age by July 1, 2022.

“We are set to make history once again with the seventh season of a show that is widely regarded as Africa’s biggest entertainment showcase and a major socio-economic driver in Nigeria. This season promises to top previous seasons in terms of production values, entertainment content and economic impact”, said John Ugbe, Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria.

On why the company is staging a seventh season, Ugbe said: “The BBNaija reality show remains one of our core investments in bringing quality TV entertainment to millions of our subscribers across the continent on our DStv and GOtv platforms and beyond through our online streaming service, Showmax. We are ramping up efforts to deliver another BBNaija experience to our customers, partner brands and fans of the show”.

Also making a return this season, is Abeg as headline sponsor with a new associate sponsor, Flutterwave.

For more information, please visit www.africamagic.tv/bigbrothernaija and follow the Big Brother Naija social media fan pages on Twitter @bbnaija, Instagram @bigbronaija and Facebook www.facebook.com/bigbrothernaija.

Radio & TV

Roland Garros 2022 available on Showmax Pro in select African countries

Published

3 days ago

May 15, 2022

Ameyaw Debrah

It may be Wimbledon’s Centenary in 2022, but never has such speculation swirled around the build-up to Roland Garros. With the tournament set to stream stream live on Showmax Pro in select African countries*, courtesy of SuperSport, tennis fans will be able to catch all the action starting 22 May 2022.

In the lead-up to the clay court spectacle, 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz has taken Rafa Nadal, the entrenched Roland Garros bull, by the horns and tossed him onto the side-lines, railroading his quest to win a sixth Madrid title and his 14th French Slam.

With perhaps less ease, Alcaraz then dispatched World No 1, Novak Djokovic, admittedly not fully fit, after a much scrutinised, self-inflicted time away from the Tour. Thereafter, the lesser task accomplished by this teenage phenomenon was to beat physically depleted World No 3, Alexander Zverev.

The unprecedented Madrid victory has catapulted Alcaraz from rank outsider to second favourite at Roland Garros, and the pending winner for this Slam too, long dominated by one reigning king (Nadal), has become as difficult to predict.

French defending champion Djokovic will have to avoid a repeat performance of his resounding US Open loss to World No 2, Daniil Medvedev, and resurrect the game plan whereby he exacted revenge, volleying Medvedev off the court at the Paris Masters.

In the women’s field, Barbora Krejcíková will be aiming to defend her title after defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova during last year’s final. Iga Swiatek goes into the tournament as the World No 1 after Ashleigh Barty’s recent retirement.

It’s no surprise that former No 1 Naomi Osaka, who controversially pulled out of the French Open last year after a first round victory, announced she’ll compete in Paris. However, with a recent withdrawal from the Italian Open with an Achilles injury, the global superstar is set to head to Paris as somewhat of an unknown quantity.

While it cannot be predicted who will take the crown in what is shaping up to be a very open-ended battle of the clay court, the ultimate prerequisites for those in line for the title will be staying on top of their game, laser focus, soft hands at the net and a Teflon temperament.

All the action from the much-anticipated tournament can be live streamed and enjoyed by Showmax Pro Subscribers in Africa, excluding those in South Africa, Lesotho and Mauritius.

*Note that Roland Garros will not be available to live stream on Showmax Pro in South Africa, Lesotho or Mauritius

Radio & TV

Stan Nze, Osas Ighodaro, Funke Akindele, and more win at 8th Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards

Published

4 days ago

May 15, 2022

Ameyaw Debrah

The 8th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA) has been held in Lagos, Nigeria with some of the award’s favourite stars back to winning ways, as well as many first time winners such as Stan Nze and Osas Ighodaro.

The awards ceremony took place at the Eko Hotels & Suites.

Check out the full list of winners below:

Best Actress in A Comedy or TV series – Funke Akindele (Omo Ghetto: The Saga)

Best Actor in Comedy in movie or TV series – Broda Shaggi/Samuel Perry (Dwindle)

Best Actress in Supporting Role – Omowunmi Dada

Best Actor in Supporting Role – Odunlade Adekola (Jankariwo)

Best Actress in Drama – Osas Ighodaro (Rattlesnake – The Ahanna Story)

Best Actor in Drama – Stan Nze (Rattlesnake)

Best Short Film or Online Video – Taiwo Ogunnimo (I Am the Prostitute Mama Described)

Best Indigenous Language – Yoruba – David Akande, Demola Yusuf and Edgard Leroy (Alaise)

Best Indigenous Language – Hausa – Rogers Ofime (Voiceless) – Uche Nnanna Maduka (Nne-Ka)

Best Indigenous Language – Swahili – Obambo (Freddy Feruzi)

Best Art Director – Tunji Afolayan (Amina)

Best Costume Designer – Millicent T. Jack (Amina)

Best Lighting Designer – Mathew Yusuf (Nneka the Pretty Serpent)

Best Picture Editor – Tunde Apalowo (For Maria Ebun Pataki)

Best Sound Editor – Jim Lively and James Nelson (Amina)

Best Sound Track – Pascal Aka And Raquel (Gold Coast Lounge)

Best Make-up Artist – Balogun Abiodun Omo Ghetto (The Sage)

Best Writer in a movie of TV series – Manie Oiseomaye, Donald Tombia and Biodun Stephen (Introducing the Kujus’)

Best Cinematographer – Muhammed Atta Ahmed (Rattlesnake – The Ahanna Story)

Best Movie Southern Africa – Dantagos Jimmy-Melani (Hairareb)

Best Movie East Africa – Morocco Omari (The Girl in The Yellow Jumper)

Best Movie West Africa – Collision Course (Bolanle Austen-Peter and Joseph Umoibom)

Overall Best Movie – Amina by Izu Ojukwu and Okey Ogunjiofor

Best Director – Ramsey Nouah (Rattlesnake – The Ahanna Story)

Best Documentary – Saitabao Kaiyare, Mumo Liku, Elena Schilling, Daniella Fritz, Ann Katrina Boberg (If Objects Could Speak)

Best Online Social Content Creator – Oga Sabinus (Mr Funny)

Best Africa Magic Original Drama Series – Dimbo Atiya (Rishante)

Best Africa Magic Original Comedy Series – Rogers Ofime (The Johnsons)

Special Recognition Award – TINSEL

Best Television Series: Drama or Comedy – Rogers Ofime

The ‘Industry Merit’ Award – Taiwo Ajayi Lycett

Multichoice Talent Factory – Daisy Masembe (ENGAITO).

Best Dressed Male powered by Amstel Malta – Denola Grey.

Best Dressed Female powered by Amstel Malta – Osas Ighodaro.

Trailblazer Prize powered by Amstel Malta – Teniola Aladese.

People & Lifestyle

Okyeame Kwame hosts ‘Recovery Stories’ TV show, highlighting the importance of “Insurance Pays” campaign

Published

1 week ago

May 11, 2022

Ameyaw Debrah

On April 23, 2022, The Insurance Pays Campaign aired the first episode of Recovery Stories, a TV talk show brought to you by Insurance Awareness Coordinators Group (IACG) and German Development Ministry (GIZ).

(more…)

Radio & TV

Award-winning, record-breaking Africa Month recommendations from Showmax

Published

1 week ago

May 10, 2022

Ameyaw Debrah

Award-winning doccies Africa and I and Softie; record-breaking The Real Housewives of Lagos; and much more

AFRICA AND I | Stream now

Winner of the Jury Award for Best First Feature Documentary at the Pan African Film and Arts Festival earlier this month, Africa and I is a 90-minute documentary about how 20-year-old Othmane Zolati walked, hitchhiked, cycled and skateboarded over 30 000 km across Africa, through 24 countries. He had never left Morocco when he started his nearly four-year journey to Cape Town, South Africa with just $80, a small backpack, and a borrowed cheap pocket camera.

Saturday Star calls Africa and I “an unrivalled glimpse into life on the continent”, Vamers “a thrilling trip through unseen Africa”, and Spling “exhilarating… a beautiful and stirring mashup of people, culture and places.”

Along the journey he survived three bouts of malaria; tried to escape border police on a skateboard; got lost for five days in a desert without enough water; was stopped in the middle of a no man’s land by a group of people with guns; and ended up in Zambia with only $5 in his pocket. But for every near-death experience, there were many more moments of marveling at the beauty and diversity of Africa, not to mention the kindness and generosity of her people.

Othmane directs and executive produces Africa and I, using the hundreds of hours of footage he taught himself to shoot along the way. He’s collaborated with a team of award-winning South African creatives he met at the end of his trip: co-director Chris Green (writer and producer on the 2021 SAFTA winner Chasing the Sun and co-showrunner of the two-time International Emmy-nominated MasterChef South Africa); Both Worlds, the production company behind the two-time International Emmy-nominated Puppet Nation ZA; and composer Daniel Eppel and editor Kirsten de Magalhaes, both SAFTA winners.

Need more North African content? Try the classic Egyptian films Bab El Hadid / Cairo Station and Alexandria Why?, from Cannes Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award winner Youssef Chahine.

SOFTIE | Stream now

Directed by Sam Soko, Softie follows Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi as he tries his hands at politics for the first time in the 2017 elections and finds himself torn between his duty to his country and his family.

Softie has a 92% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has won five international awards, including a Special Jury Award for Editing at Sundance, with Boniface named one of The Unforgettables by Cinema Eye last year. Softie was also nominated for International Documentary Association, News and Documentary Emmy, and Producers Guild of America awards in 2021.

Softie’s fans include Kenyan Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, who tweeted, “As the child of a political activist who witnessed their father being harassed and injured, who wondered when and if he would come home at night, the documentary Softie moved me… It is the incredible story about the activist Boniface Mwangi and his journey to uncover the truth behind Kenya’s disheartening politics and corrupt system. If you believe in governments for the people, by the people and of the people, this film is for you.”

Need more East African content? Try 2021 Kalasha Award winners like the Showmax Original Crime and Justice, which won Best Actress for Sarah Hassan, Njoro Wa Uba, which won Best Drama and Best Actor for Joe Kinyua, Likarion Wainaina’s multi-award-winning film Supa Modo, and Tosh Gitonga’s critically-acclaimed film Nairobi Half Life.

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF LAGOS | Binge the first five episodes now, with more every Friday

The Real Housewives of Lagos set a new record for the most first-day views on Showmax in Nigeria after trending at #1 on Twitter in both Nigeria and South Africa.

The latest edition of the hit reality TV show franchise follows the opulent lives of six of the most glamorous women in Africa’s largest megacity: businesswoman Carolyna Hutchings, lawyer and luxury hair brand owner Chioma Ikokwu, Nollywood actress Iyabo Ojo, influencer Laura Ikeji-Kanu, PR expert Mariam Timmer, and celebrity stylist Toyin Lawani-Adebayo. In true Lagos style, they will be serving up all the high fashion, luxury, drama, and power-moves that the franchise is known and loved for globally.

The Africa Report calls it “must-see television”, while Pulse says it’s changing the representation of Africa: “Gone with the third world version and in with shots portraying a version of Africa that Africans didn’t know we needed.”

Need more West African content? Try the hit Showmax Original telenovela from Ghana, Shirley Frimpong-Manso’s ENO, or 2022 Africa Magic Viewers Choice nominees for Best Drama, like Dilemma, Enakhe, Movement Japa, Riona, The Rishantes, Unmarried, and Venge, and Best Comedy, like My Flatmates, My Siblings And I, and The Johnsons.

THIS IS NOT A BURIAL, IT’S A RESURRECTION | Stream now

Produced by Urucu (The Wound | Inxeba), This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection stars the late, great Mary Twala Mhlongo (Black Is King) in her final film role as an 80-year-old widow in Lesotho who ignites a collective spirit of defiance within her community when her village is threatened with forced removals due to the construction of a reservoir. Triple SAFTA winner Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha (Tsotsi, Five Fingers For Marseilles) narrates, while Makhaola Ndebele (The River) co-stars.

This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection ended 2021 at #6 on MetaCritic’s list of the best reviewed films of the year globally. Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese’s film also cracked many of the most prestigious Top 10 Films of 2021 lists, placing second on Vulture, third on Slant, fourth on LA Weekly, sixth on RogerEbert.com, seventh on AV Club, and ninth on Paste and The Playlist – not to mention making Vanity Fair’s list of the 21 Most Underrated Movies of 2021 and The Film Stage’s list of The Best Cinematography of 2021.

The film has won over 33 international awards, including the Visionary Filmmaking Prize at Sundance 2020, the FIPRESCI Critics’ Prize at Hong Kong 2020, the Artistic Bravery Prize at Durban 2020, Best Cinematography at the African Movie Academy Awards 2020 and FESPACO 2021 for Pierre de Villiers, and the Silver Tanit for Best Film at Carthage 2021.

Released in the United States last year as part of The Criterion Collection, This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection has a 100% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Vulture hailed it as “the first masterpiece of 2021… So gorgeous and spellbinding that it invites repeat viewings.” The Playlist called it one of those films that “reinvigorates one’s faith in the artistic capacity of an entire medium.” RogerEbert.com praised it as “a challenge to conventional Western film language… a welcome and necessary one.” Slant called it “Breathtaking,” Paste “extraordinary” and Rolling Stone “a revelation.”

Need more Southern African content? Try Malawi’s 2022 Oscar entry, Fatsani: A Tale of Survival, about a young girl who, while living with her grandmother, is forced to sell bananas in the streets for survival after her school is closed due to sanitation issues and corruption.