Bayelsa State Government is ready to host the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) 10th edition.

All is now set for the 10th edition of the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) taking place on April 28, at the newly-renovated Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in Yenagoa.

The Director General of Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency, Mrs. Ebizi Ndiomu Brown, said the state government is ready to host the annual movie awards to celebrate excellence in the movie industry as part of Governor Seriaki Dickson’s commitment to the development of the state’s tourism potential.

According to her, this year’s edition would be bankrolled by the public as efforts are already being made by the agency to organise a fund raising dinner in Lagos to seek partnership and support from corporate organisations and public spirited individuals to help in promoting excellence in the movie industry in Africa.

Brown said government alone cannot continue to sponsor the event given the myriads of its financial commitments; hence the need to resort to the public to ensure continuity of this laudable project.
In a telephone interview, the Chief Executive Officer, AMAA, Peace Ayim Osigwe, disclosed that the screening panel for this year’s award is drawn from across Africa and has so far screened hundreds of films, and out of it, 65 movies have been adjudged good enough to move on to the third level of screening.
According to her, at the third level of screening the movies will again be pruned down to a reasonable number for the final presentation to the award jury.

She assured all stakeholders and interest groups that the panel of judges selected to screen the movies are very sincere and transparent in the screening process adding that the caliber of judges put together this year are highly experienced and above all they are men and women of integrity.