Ghana Movie Awards: More disagree over Beast of No Nation’s nomination

Some industry persons are up in arms against organisers of the Ghana Movie Awards over the nomination of the movie, Beast of No Nation.
The movie, on Friday grabbed 15 nominations at the unveiling ceremony of the nominees for this year’s awards at the Silverbird Cinemas in Accra. It got the highest number of nominations this year.
The movie, shot in Ghana stars Hollywood actor Idris Elba, Ghana’s Abraham Attah, Ama K. Abebrese, Grace Nortey and David Dontoh.
Directed by Cary Joji Fuknaga, the movie has been described by industry persons as clearly a foreign movie and therefore ought not to have been nominated.
The announcement trigged heated exchanges and disagreements between some industry persons, including actress Ama K. Abebrese and Eddie Nartey.
Eddie Nartey posted on Instagram: I can’t hold it but express my opinion. GHANA MOVIE AWARDS has done it again just like many expected. I don’t even want to talk about how long I had to wait with several of my colleagues as well as the media before the Nominees Announcement got started. Now how come BEAST OF NO NATION got 15 nominations? BEAST OF NO NATION??  this 6 million budget dollar movie is now competing with the local movies? I thought it was GHANA MOVIE AWARDS, an event to honor filmmakers locally.”
“Why don’t you put it in the African Movie of the year category since I consider it as an international movie? This is so unfair to the young ones who are on the field trying to make this industry stand with the little they have. If you want to award BEAST OF NO NATION because it was shot here in Ghana then do it in a different way but don’t let it compete with Our local movies. It’s quite unfortunate that a couple of actors and actresses have worked so hard this year and are not appreciated with even nominations. THIS IS SAD. I don’t blame the organizers that much but the very actors and actresses who will complain behind closed doors and be mute in the open about such issues. If you want a change, then be part of creating that change. It’s just a SHAME
Now let’s wait and see which film will win over BEAST OF NO NATION in the same category,” he added.
Actor Prince David Osei reacting to the nomination also said: “Open letter to the Ceo of Ghana Movie Awards…… Mr Frederick Nuamah firstly, we want to thank you for GMA, an award which is geared to honour film makers and practitioners in Ghana. Hence Ghana Movie Awards not European or Arabian or Ghana Netflix Awards….Since the inception of this prestigious awards people have always doubted the credibility of this award; whether it’s awards for friends and family of Frederick Nuamah or for Ghana Film industry??? Some of us have kept quiet because we thought it will get better over the years, for goodness sake!! this is the 6th edition and there’s still no improvement..Though am not in Ghana I have seen nomination list online with Beast of No Nation topping with 15 nominations..”
He added that, “Let us reason here Mr Ceo and your judges. .There’s no disputing the fact that Beast of No Nation is a great movie by all standards, even seen billboard all over Hollywood Boulevard promoting the movie..It starred Ghanaian actors and was shot entirely in Ghana, with stupendous performances from Abraham the new kid making Ghana proud, Ama K, David Dontoh to mention but a few..Now to the issue at hand, Mr Ceo how do u nominate a full Hollywood movie owned by Netflix for Ghana Movie Awards not even in international movie category but 15 nominations?? I remember very well when we attempted submitting the Hollywood low budget movie I did Thedead, you and your team declined it in 2012 saying it’s an international movie though shot in Africa…”
“How do you encourage young industrious film makers fighting against all odds to make an industry since we don’t have one…if you nominate our local movies against Hollywood movies with a budget of 6millions dollars how can they go wrong??With 6millions dollars they resourceful ,so obviously they will make a good film against us struggling to even have producers,actors have now turned producers!!!What a SHAME for our industry…To thyself be true and stop leaving in denial…Thanks for nominating my movie LASTNIGHT for Best Actor in Leading role….but fix it!!! we the industry players not happy with you Mr GMA….Princedavidosei and friends for positive change in our industry….God bless Ghana Movies…,” the award winning actor concluded.
Actress Yvonne Nelson prior to the unveiling of the nominations had raised reservations and said it will not be fair to the industry if the Beats of No Nation is nominated.
She also criticized organisers of the awards scheme for accepting ‘Beast of No Nation’ movie adding that it is not a Ghanaian production.
“If that movie is submitted, it is not fair because it is not a Ghanaian production, the fact that it was shot in Ghana does not make it a Ghanaian movie, if we are trying to promote our own why should we go for that?” she asked.
She maintained that, “you cannot compare a Hollywood production or a movie with big budget to a Ghanaian movie the budgets are totally different.”
Organisers of the awards has maintained that there is some level of Ghanaian collaboration in the production of the movie and therefore deserves to be nominated.
Check out the full list of nominees:
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
1. Oris Erhuero – The cursed ones
2. Prince David Osei – Last Night
3. Adjetey Annan – Cartel
4. Abraham Attah – Beast of no nation
5. Henry Adofo – Freetown
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
1. Yvonne Nelson – If tomorrow never comes
2. Nadia Buari – Imogen Brown
3. Lydia Forson – A letter from Adam
4. Martha Ankomah – Shattered Lives
5. Joselyn Dumas – Silver rain
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
1. Jimmy Jean-Louis – The cursed ones
2. Idris EIba – Beast of no nation
3. Van Vicker – I do
4. Emmanuel Affadzi – Beast of no Nation
5. James Gardiner – Candle in the wind
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
1. Rebecca Acheampong (Becca) – If tomorrow never comes
2. Sellorm Galley – The Table
3. Ama K. Abrebese – The cursed ones
4. Christabel Ekeh – Candle in the wild
5. Belinda Baidoo – Silver rain
COSTUME & WARDROBE
1. If tomorrow never comes – Clara Asantewaa
2. I do – Elikem Kumordzie
3. Beast of no nations – Jenny Eagan/Kayoa Afriyie Frimpong
4. 14:32 – Augustus Edgar Quartey
WRITING ADAPTED OR ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
1. If tomorrow never comes – Pascal Amanfo
2. Beast of no nation – Uzodinma Iweala/Cary Fukunaga
3. Freetown – Melissa Larson / Garrett batty
4. The cursed ones – Maxilian Claussen
5. Silver rain – Juliet Asante
MUSIC ORIGINAL SCORE
1. If tomorrow never comes – Berni Anti
2. Freetown – Kirk Sharpe
3. The cursed ones – Benjamin Wright
4. Beast of no nation – Dan Romer
5. Nana meansKing – Aleksander Kuzba
MUSIC ORIGINAL SONG
1. If tomorrow never comes – Berni Anti
2. I do – Kobi Rana
3. The cursed ones – Benjamin Wright
4. Coz ov mont – Emmanuel Owusu Bonsu
Mensah Ansah
5. Why should I get married 2 – D. Black
BEST EDITING
1. Freetown – Connor O’Malley
2. Beast of no nation – Mikkel E. G. Nielsen
3. The cursed ones – Josh Levinsky
4. 14:32 – Kimi Frimpong
5. Cartel – Abby Bawa
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
1. If tomorrow never comes – Jana Siidaus Nahdi
2. I do – Christabel Jones
3. The cursed ones – Araba Ansah
4. Cartel – Lydia Ashietey
5. Beast of no nation – Chris Burgoyne, Rita Parklo
VISUAL EFFECTS
1. Freetown – Davin Bekins
2. I do – Enoch Obiri Opoku
3. Beast of no nation – Kevin Bitters
4. The cursed ones – Ahmed El-Azma
5. 14:32 – Charles McCarthy
PRODUCTION DESIGN
1. Beast of no nation – Tony Tomety / Miles Kristian
2. If tomorrow never comes – D. J. Vagas
3. The cursed ones – Davide De Stefano
4. I do – Ada Chibuife
5. Freetown – Albert Aidoo / Courage Wormenor
CINEMATOGRAPHY
1. Cartel – John Passah
2. If tomorrow never comes – Rex Perbi
3. Freetown – Jeremy Prusso
4. The beast of no nations – Cary Joji Fukunaga
5. The cursed ones – Nicholas K. Lory
SOUND EDITING AND MIXING
1. Nana means king – Aleksander Kuzba
2. Freetown – George dankwa
3. Beast of no nations – Geoffrey Patterson
4. If tomorrow never comes – Berni Anti
5. The cursed ones – Gernot Fuhrmann
DIRECTING
1. Freetown – Garrett Batty
2. If tomorrow never comes – Pascal Amanfo
3. Beast of no nation – Cary Fukunago
4. The cursed ones – Nana Obiri Yeboah
5. 14:32 – Kwesi Apenteng Quartey
BEST PICTURE
1. Beast of no nation – Tony Tagoe/ Danny Damah (Producers)
2. If tomorrow never comes – Yvonne Nelson (Producer)
3. The cursed ones – Nicholas K. Lory (Producer)
4. Silver Rain – Julliet Asante (Producer)
5. I do – Kafui Danku (Producer)
6. 30 days in Atlanta – A. Y. (Producer)
7. Candle in the wind – Abdul Sallam (Producer)
8. Freetown – Mawuli Akpabi
Adam Abel
Garret Batty (Producers)
9. Cartel – Dayan Fields (Producer)
BEST ACTOR AFRICAN COLLABORATION
1. Enyimma Nwigwe – Silver Rain
2. Ramsey nouah – 30 days in Atlanta
3. De Deyemi Okanlawon – If tomorrow never comes
4. Nsikan Isaac – The corned help
BEST ACTRESS AFRICAN COLLABORATION
1. Ure Eke – Silver Rain
2. Mercy Johnson – 30 days in Atlanta
3. Patience Ozokwor – Mama Africa
4. Ini Edo – While you slept
5. Rachael Oniga – The corned help
DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR
1. Abraham Attah – Beast of no nation
2. Emmanuel Affadzi – Beast of no nation
3. Ophelia Dzidzornu – The cursed ones
4. Jessica Larnyoh – I do
5. Stonebwoy – Happy death day
6. General Ntatea – Kalybos in China
7. Deborah Vanessa – 14:32
8. Becca – If tomorrow never comes
9. Belinda Dzata – Royal Diadem
10. Princess Shingle – Why should I get married
FAVOURITE ACTOR
1. Majid Michel
2. John Dumelo
3. Kalybos
4. Bismark the Joke
5. Kwadwo Nkansah
6. Akrobeto
7. Adjetey Annan
8. Agya Koo
9. Kwaku Manu
10. Van Vicker
FAVOURITE ACTRESS
1. Kyeiwaa (Rose Mensah)
2. Mercy Asiedu –
3. Maame Serwaa –
4. Emelia Brobbey –
5. Nana Ama McBrown
6. Yvonne Nelson –
7. Jackie Appiah –
8. Ahoufe Patri –
9. Juliet Ibrahim –
10. Nadia Buari –
SHORT MOVIE
1. Gaxorzozor
2. Love at the time of Odwira
3. Date
4. Thief
5. The cry
ANIMATED SHORT MOVIE
1. Nasir (bribery gone wrong)
2. Hogan toons
3. The perculiar life of a spider
4. Agradaa
5. Nubuke
BEST DOCUMENTARY
1. Komabu – za
2. Dog tales
Credit: Joy News