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Michelle Hammond, Zakia Kunge and Adjetey Anang lead new Ghanaian drama Roses and Daggers, now on Showmax

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10 months ago

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Dreams set the drama in motion in Roses and Daggers, the new Ghanaian drama series from Akwaaba Magic that is now streaming on Showmax. But what do dreams look like for two very different young women from poor backgrounds, fighting different struggles but both dreaming of better lives?

Meet Winifred (played by singer-actress Zakia Kunge), a young hairdresser struggling to make ends meet as she takes care of her whole family. Talented and ambitious, Winifred wants out of her poor life, and luckily for her, this becomes a possibility when one of her wealthy clients suggests that she moves her business to the city. But if TV has taught us anything, it’s that the city can be a dangerous place for dreamers, especially those like Winifred who will do anything to get what they want.

In an interview with Akwaaba Magic, Kunge describes her character Winifred as “sweet, charming, seductive and dangerous at the same time.” She is also an opportunistic hustler who is determined to get to the top, no matter what it takes. “All she thinks about day and night is how to climb the social ladder and leave her poor past behind. Her days are filled with identifying opportunities and scheming on how to take advantage of those opportunities.”

As for what fans can expect from her character and from Roses and Daggers, Kunge praises the storytelling, saying, “Everything is twisted in this show; nothing and no one is what they seem. Each episode will blow your mind with the plot twist.”

Away from Kunge’s Winifred, on the other side of an equally poor world, there’s Sesi (played by Esi Hammond, Nina’s Mahogany), a young fishmonger fighting to escape her grandmother’s plans of marrying her off to an old man. Like Winifred, Sesi wants a better life, but unlike Winifred, she’s ready to work hard for it. Leaving everything behind, Sesi heads to the city in search of newer opportunities but whether her dreams will come true remains to be seen.

Roses and Daggers also stars bestselling author and renowned motivational speaker Michelle McKinney Hammond as Marjorie, a doting mother and an insecure wife who grapples with her husband’s infidelity. She finds herself in a sticky situation when she suspects that her husband is having an affair with the mother of her son’s girlfriend.

But Marjorie is not one to let others walk all over her. As Hammond describes her in an interview with Akwaaba Magic, she (Marjorie) can be quite crafty, always devising plans to keep her enemies close. “She’s passionate and transparent; you never have to guess what is on her mind. And she has a way of cutting you to shreds with her words when she wishes.”

Ghanaian A-list actor Adjetey Anang plays Marjorie’s son Joshua, making Roses and Daggers the seventh title on Showmax that the award-winning actor has starred in. Anang’s slate on Showmax includes titles like popular telenovela Dede, action thriller film Cartel: The Genesis, Leila Djansi’s feature Like Cotton Twines starring Insecure’s Jay Ellis, the drama series Table of Men, and more.

Created by Mustapha Adam and Linda Okyere and directed by Richard Danklu, Roses and Daggers also stars Daisy Little Amankwah, Lucinda Ribeiro, Lydia Wilson, Paul Wilson, Benedict Yeboah and more.

Stream new episodes of Roses and Daggers weekly on Showmax.

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Radio & TV

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

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23 hours ago

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May 16, 2022

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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.

 

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Radio & TV

Roland Garros 2022 available on Showmax Pro in select African countries

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2 days ago

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May 15, 2022

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

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2 days ago

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May 15, 2022

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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.

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People & Lifestyle

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

Published

6 days ago

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May 11, 2022

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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).

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

Published

7 days ago

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May 10, 2022

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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.
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Radio & TV

M-Net Movies celebrates Africa Day with AfroCinema Pop-Up channel

Published

1 week ago

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May 9, 2022

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With Africa Day coming up on 25 May, M-Net is proud to announce M-Net Movies AfroCinema Pop-Up, an exciting channel that will celebrate and showcase the best festival movies from across the continent. The channel will run from Friday 20 May to Sunday 29 May and will be available on DStv Channel 198.

 

The AfroCinema Pop-Up channel line-up will feature award-winning movies that have been sourced from Africa’s top film festivals and give discerning cinema lovers a curated movie experience of films that range from the critically acclaimed to hidden gems, in what’s sure to be a delightful cinematic feast.

 

The top movies on the channel that film lovers can look forward to are:

 

 

  • Salute

The 2018 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards nominee tells the story of a man sentenced to three life sentences, leaving his pregnant girlfriend behind in the outside world.

 

  • Katutura

This gem follows a group of people living in a township as they navigate a life of crime, drugs, struggle and – despite it all – love and hope.

 

  • In the Name of Love

When an unemployed University graduate gives in to the pressure to marry his lover, he finds himself in limbo to provide for his woman. Can the couple survive the pressure?

 

  • Stain After her husband is injured during a domestic incident, a woman is forced to take over as family breadwinner in this award-winning movie.

 

  • Sixteen Rounds This short film is about an army man and his wife’s messy, complicated relationship that is plagued by infidelity.

 

  • I Am Not a Witch This BAFTA Award-winning film is about a little girl who is accused of being a witch and sentenced to a camp of elderly witches.

 

  • Payback

A man pursues the ultimate act of revenge when he finds out his cousin’s friend is about to marry the woman who jilted him.

 

  • Maria Kristu: The Buumba Story

In her quest to create a better world for herself and other women, a young woman goes against the norms and doctrines of the church.

 

  • Fatsani: A Tale of Survival

Malawi’s official entry to the 2022 Oscars, this drama is about a young girl forced to sell bananas in the street for survival after her school is shut down.

 

  • Nairobi Half Life

The award-winning flick about an aspiring actor trying to follow his dreams of becoming successful in a big city was Kenya’s official submission to the 2013 Oscars.

 

  • Subira

This drama tells the story of a young girl in Lamu who struggles to live out her dream of swimming in the ocean, something which is against local customs.

 

  • Air Conditioner

A security guard and a domestic worker are tasked with retrieving their boss’s air conditioner after the devices mysteriously start falling and killing people across Luanda in this critically acclaimed film.

 

  • Knuckle City

This critically lauded and award-winning film tells a story of resilience, violence and survival, set against the gritty backdrop of the Eastern Cape boxing scene.

 

  • This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection

Anchored by an arresting performance from the late Mary Twala, the award-winning film is about grief, land, ownership and resettlement.

 

  • Sons of the Sea

A drama about escaping hopeless circumstances, this movie tells the story of two brothers who find a dead body and bags of abalone. Will the loot bring them closer to a brighter future, or spell their end?

 

  • Night of the Kings

The multi-award-winning film that was Ivory Coast’s official entry to the 2021 Oscars, this fantasy-drama follows a young man sent to a notorious Ivorian prison in the middle of the forest.

 

  • Elevator Baby

A wealthy young man and an underprivileged woman are trapped in an elevator as she goes into labor.

 

  • Nimbe

Nimbe is a story addressing the issues associated with drug abuse, some of the causes, how to identify and avoid such.

 

  • Skin

In this documentary, Nollywood star Beverly Naya explores Nigeria’s relationship with and perception of beauty, colour and complexion.

 

 

Quite the line-up!

 

As Africa’s most-loved storyteller, we’re proud to celebrate stories and creatives from across our continent. M-Net Movies AfroCinema Pop-Up will be available to DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family and Access subscribers. Tune in for 10 days of African creativity, heart and brilliance.

 

 

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