By David Ajiboye

Malawian top actress, Flora Suya, is a top contender in this year’s Best Actress category at the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), scheduled to take place on Saturday,  April 10, in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital. Suya’s role in the movie, Season of a Life, earned her the nomination, alongside other A-list actresses like Ghanaian Jackie Appiah, Lydia Forson, Naa Ashorkor Mensah-Doku, Stephanie Okereke and Bimbo Akintola, who just got her first nomination at AMAA for her excellent performance in the movie Bond and Fred Amata’s Freedom in Chain.

The chairman of College of Screeners, Mr. Shuaib Hussein said that Flora Suya might be the revelation AMAA has thrown up this year, adding that the award was fulfilling its mission and set objectives, as other African countries were coming out strongly in the business of film making.
“Flora Suya’s role in Season of a Life is superlative.  She is a complete talent that will go places in her acting career.  It is also a wake up call and challenge for our top actors and actresses to up their games. Nominations for awards anywhere in the world is a function of quality of work, professionalism and not whether anybody is an A-list star or not,” said Hussein.

Hussein also said the entries received from  North African countries, with Algeria and Egypt as strong contenders in the Best Animation category continued to attest to the popularity and acceptability of AMAA as the most respected recognition platform for the film industry in Africa.
Kunle Afolayan’s Figurine and Izu Chukwu’s Nnenda and The Child,  were among 30 films that made the nominations for this year’s African Movie Academy Awards, out of the over 280 entries received across Africa.

At a colorful nominations party held at Mensvic Hotel, East Legion, Accra, Ghana last Saturday, the nominations were announced by Hussein, chairman of College of Screeners.

In the Best Actor’s category are Ramsey Nouah, Lucky Ejim, Majid Michael, Odera Ozoka and John Osie Tutu, for their roles in The Tenant, Sin of a Soul, The Figurine, Soul Diaspora and I Sing of a Well.

Kunle Afolayan, Shemu Joyah, Shirley Frimpong, Leilla Jewel Djansi, Jude Idada and Lucky Ejim will slug it out in the Best Director category.  At the star-studded nominations party in Ghana included Mr. Richard Mofe-Damijo, Delta State Commissioner for Tourism and Culture; Rita Dominic, Segun Arinze, Osita Iheme, Paul Obazele, Ejike Asiegbu, Dickson Iruegbu, Kunle Afolayan, Steve Ayorinde, Muma Gee, J. Martins, among others.

Mr. Emeka Mba,Director General Nigeria Films and Video Censors Board(NFVCB) delivering his address at the African Film/Television Programmes Expo held in Abuja.

Some dignitaries rendering the national anthem at the event

Nollywood Actor,Francids Duru making a remark at the event.

Oba Dosumu,the traditional ruler of Owu Kingdom presenting an award to top Nollywood producer.

More pix from the Event

More pix from the event.

More pix from the event

More pix from the event

BY DAVID AJIBOYE

Jim Iyke has been variously described as Nollywood’s playboy -a serial heart breaker, one whose motto vis-a-vis relationships with women, appears to be “use them and leave them.” Tabloid stories about his sexual escapades are in volumes, leaving many to wonder what he is looking for in a woman or if he will ever find that unique woman who will melt his heart and make him entertain the thoughts of walking down the aisle.

During a recent encounter with Jim, the issue of his playboy image and stories of his sexual liaisons were exhaustively probed. As reported before, he vehemently denied being a playboy, however, admitting that “a million women may pass through your life, but only one will stick and strike that chord in you.” It appears that that one woman may have finally materialized, and struck a strong chord in Jim Iyke’s life.

Jim Iyke

There have been some rumors and published speculations that the handsome actor may have finally found a woman of his dreams – a fact that he has neither denied nor confirmed, until now. Jim Iyke was asked explicitly if he had finally found the elusive dream woman, and if so, what qualities stood her out of the numerous others that competed for his heart, love and affection?

Smiling infectiously, Jim volunteered, “I am going to tell you everything you need to know. As a matter of fact, I am going to use this opportunity to finally break my silence over this issue. As you rightly pointed out, a lot has been written about my new found love, most of them largely speculative in nature.

“Yes, it is true. I have found the woman of my dreams, and we are in love in totality. She is the embodiment of all that I have been looking for: tall, pretty, exotic and supremely intelligent. I was looking for a woman who would complement and reinforce my intellectually curious mind -someone who would add and not subtract, and I’m happy to admit that I have finally found her. Her name is Phil, and I would leave it at that.”

How They Met, “I met Phil sometime last year in the United States. She’s of Caribbean ancestry – more specifically Jamaican. We had a movie shot in Baltimore and Phil was invited by her then friend, Ruth Okoro, to the set, and we had an instant connection. Initially, I thought I was just going to have a good time with her, and keep it moving.

But her beauty, intellect, deeply ingrained values and an abiding capacity to understand and deconstruct me struck me. No other woman I had met ever took time to learn who I was, and what elements and values define my entire being.

Phil’s love for me was not based on my fame, rather she cared much about Jim Iyke, as an individual and not Jim Iyke as a star-actor and Nollywood superstar.

Jim Iyke

I have always believed in the partnership of body, soul and the mind. Oftentimes, the women that crossed my path in the past were more interested in the partnership of the body. But Phil possesses both the intellectual ability and the traditional values that were in short supply with my recent past relationships.” In the past few months, the tabloid
newspapers had regaled their readers with the case of betrayal on the part of Jim’s new found love.

According to reports, “Phil, supplanted and betrayed her close friend, Ruth Okoro, who was said to be seeing Jim Iyke at the time she introduced her then best friend, Phil to the Nollywood Sexiest Actor.” As a result of this betrayal, the two erstwhile friends are mortal enemies today. Asked if he ever had an affair with Ruth, Jim replied in the negative.

“No. Ruth is not my kind of woman, and the notion that I was seeing her is totally preposterous. How could I be seeing Ruth, when she was even married to my boy, Philips Ehigiwina? She was sleeping around with Emeka Ike. I have values and moral ethos, and those values were in conflict with what I was seeing.

That was the reason I called Ruth’s husband in Texas, and asked him to come to Maryland and see what his wife was doing with Emeka Ike.

Ruth was caught red handed in bed with Emeka Ike, and she knows this to be the truth. All the nonsense that was written about my alleged jealousy because Ruth was seeing both Emeka and me, were pieces of junk journalism. It is true that Ruth introduced me to Phil. I didn’t need to deny that.

I saw a winner in Phil and I went for her. I have no regrets. What Ruth wanted from me, unfortunately, I couldn’t give it to her because of the fact that I have some morals in me. All the negative things she has said about Phil never bothered me because I know who she is, and I am comfortable with who she is.”

By DAVID AJIBOYE

Nigeria’s popular actress Rita Dominic will pay a visit to Malawi with an aim of promoting DStv’s Africa Magic and Africa Magic Plus channels which beam African movies mainly from Nigeria.

Her trip is sponsored by Multichoice Malawi Limited in conjunction with Sunbird Hotels, Nation Publications Limited and she is expected to arrive in the country next week.

The 34 year old actress is expected to arrive in the country on Tuesday and will attend cocktails in Lilongwe and Blantyre. During the cocktails the Nollywood superstar will sign autographs, pose for pictures and present prizes.

Dominic, who is single, is featured in over 30 movies such as Stolen Heart, Street Life, To Love a Thief, Fate of a Liar, Paint of Love, Love Paradise and Lean on Me among others.

Despite being single, Rita says she has a taste for  “what I find attractive in a guy – cool, polished, intelligent and 100% dress sense.”

She first appeared in a movie in 1999 and has risen in fame together with other actresses and actors like Oge Okoye, Ini Edo, Omotola Jalade Ekainde, Jim Ike, Monalisa Chinda, Emeka Ike, Desmond Elliot, and Genevieve Nnaji among others.

She was quoted in the local media that she was looking forward to seeing Malawians.

“I am told that Malawians are warm-hearted people and I can’t wait to see them.” Dominic said

The superstar is expected to leave the country any day after the 15th May 2009. This is the first time for a Nigerian movie star to officially come to Malawi.

The Nollywood drama queen has come a long way in the industry right from her days on TV programs such as Children’s Variety (on the NTA), Junior Opinion.

From the time Rita Dominic was about three years old attending YMWCA nursery school Aba to Constitution Crescent Primary school in Abia State, Nigeria, it was obvious she was destined for fame and craved attention at the time, mostly because of her unique singing and dancing talent.

Rita, who’s hobbies include acting, singing, watching movies, reading and traveling, graduated from the University of Port-harcourt with a BA (1-honours) Degree in Theatre Arts in 1999.

She hails from the Abiah Mbaise local government area in lmo State and belongs to the Royal Waturuocha family. Blessed with stunning looks, Rita enjoys spending time with her friends and family when she is not on a movie set.