March 28th, 2010

AMAA 2010: Malawi’s Flora Suya In Top Race for Best Actress Award

» Posted in Awards, General, Gollywood, Nollywood at 10:58 am

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

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October 23rd, 2009

Tonto Dikeh Dates Fred Nuamah

» Posted in General, Nollywood at 10:39 am
BY DAVID AJIBOYE
David Ajiboye
Nollywood’s current hottest, richest and pretty-faced young actress, Tonto Dike, who once dated Nigerian top music producer, Don Jazzy, has found the best rhythm to her heart’s desire in Ghana, African Movie Star has gathered.

The light-skinned actress, a close source told this reporter, is having a clandestine love affair with Ghanaian new actor and producer, Fred Nuamah, who also doubles as manager of Ghana’s International Boxing Federation (IBF) Bantamweight champion, Joseph Agbeko and an erstwhile radio presenter.

Tonto and Fred

Tonto and Fred

Not surprisingly, the two suspected lovebirds have denied having any amorous relationship. While the actor said he does not even know the sexy-lipped actress, she on the other hand informed that they are ‘just friends’.

A couple of weeks ago, Tonto was in Ghana to shoot her new movie with Young Father Productions, owned by Samuel Ruffy of ‘Honey Kuchi-Kuchi’ advert fame. Fred, according to a  reliable source, was all over the place with Tonto.

On three different occasions, in the middle of the night, Fred was allegedly spotted sneaking in and out of the Genesis Hotel, located off the Accra-Kasoa road, where the actress had lodged.

Tonto, the source continued, could not make time to complete her production and had to leave for Nigeria. Some members of the production, the source said, blamed Fred for Tonto’s inability to finish shooting. Fred, the source disclosed, came to pick Tonto up while on set “and that was the end”.

The next time the production heard of the two, they were at the Kotoka International Airport as she sneaked out of the country.

However, the movie’s director, John Izedonmi, who confirmed Tonto’s inability to finish her job while in Ghana, said Fred could not be blamed.

“Fred has nothing to do with Tonto’s failure to complete the movie. It is not just possible that he would walk to location and pick her like that. Apparently, Tonto might have thought she had completed shooting her role and asked Fred to pick her up.

It was after she left that the Production Assistant (PA), after looking through the script, realized that she was left with four more scenes to do,” he said.

According to him, Tonto would be returning sometime soon to complete her scenes.

We gathered that a few days after Tonto left the country, Fred followed her to Nigeria “to continue from where they left off”’. But when contacted, the dark-skinned and afro hair-styled gentleman, in his reaction, said he does not even know Tonto Dike.

He admitted going to Nigeria, but said he was in that country to see Ramsey Nouah over his up-coming movie.

Sadly, however, Tonto let the cat out of the bag when in a telephone interview she said Fred was a friend.

Hear her: “I have a relationship with Fred? Are you kidding me? Is that what people are saying? That is very funny. It is a stupid rumour to me. Fred is my friend just like every other person that I have met. I do not have any amorous relationship with Fred.”

Efforts to get Fred to react to Tonto’s claim proved futile as his close associates said he had left for Las Vegas to oversee arrangements for Joseph Agbeko’s next fight.

Ramsey Nouah however confirmed Fred’s trip to Nigeria  saying, “Yeah, he came looking for me a couple of days back. He came to see me. He came to drop a script for me. He called me and we had an appointment. That’s it.”

Frank Rajah also confirmed reports that he introduced Fred to Tonto but denied they are dating.

“Tonto is my good friend and when I was going to pick her, Fred went with me and everybody in the industry knows Fred is a very kind-hearted person. When Tonto met him, she liked him because the guy is a kind-hearted person and they related very well.

When Tonto was leaving, she called Fred to pick her up to the airport and he went to take her straight to the airport.

So I don’t see anything wrong with being a friend to somebody. Fred is a friend to everybody in the industry. Many of the Nigerian stars who come here stay in his house,” he concluded.

» 9 Comments
June 4th, 2009

Eucharia Anunobi in Divorce Court, Again.

» Posted in Nollywood at 6:34 pm

MY HUSBAND WAS SLEEPING WITH OUR HOUSE MAID-Eucharia alleges
By David Ajiboye

Ace actress Eucharia Anunobi yesterday disclosed to an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, Nigeria, how her husband Charles Ekwu allegedly slept with their 13-year-old housemaid several times in their matrimonial home.

Eucharia made this allegation while giving evidence in a divorce suit she instituted against her husband before the court on grounds of infidelity, lack of care and abandonment. The suit was filed in 2007 but had suffered several setbacks until Wednesday when the trial resumed.

Eucharia, while being led in evidence by her lawyer, Michael Nwana, narrated to the court in tears how her husband slept with their 13-year-old housemaid, beat her up severally and refused to take care of their children.

Eucharia-Anunobi

Eucharia-Anunobi

According to Eucharia, she had been living happily with her husband until 2006 when she caught him having sex with their housemaid. She further told the court:  “we got married in December 2000 but have been living apart since 2006 when Charles started sleeping with our housemaid. When I discovered the incident, he was ruffled and decided to move out. Our children have not seen him since then and he has not shown concern for their upbringing.”

Eucharia also alleged that her husband was a dishonest person. “Barely three months after I conceived, I found out that he was a very dishonest person. He lies about almost everything.”

She also narrated how her husband turned her into a punching bag. “He beats me virtually everyday. I got the mark that is now permanently on my right eye from his punches.”

Eucharia is asking the court to make an order dissolving her marriage, grant custody of her children to her and award N10 million cost against her husband for the upkeep of their children.

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