AMAA 2018: Organisers rename animation category after slain Nigerian animator

The animation category at the AMAA 2018 has been renamed the ‘Jibril Mailafia Award for Best Animation’, following the killing of the Nigerian animator.

Organisers of the Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, have renamed the animation category after slain Nigerian animator, Jibril Mailafia.

The posthumous honour was granted the award-winning Film editor and animator, who was killed by unknown men in Jos, Plateau State.

The change was announced by the founder and CEO of AMAA, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, who said the Board of Africa Film Academy took the decision ahead of the 2018 edition of the award to honour the late animator because of his place as one of Africa’s shining lights in the area of creative animations.

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“This young man was one of the leading figures when it comes to animations for movies, clips, and short stories. He has been nominated severally for the AMAAs and won in 2016 for the first time under the international award platform of the Africa Movie Academy Awards,” Anyiam- Osigwe said.

 

Tagged ‘Jibril Mailafia Award for Best Animation’, the honour is coming for the late Mailafia who was also nominated in the same category, in the 2018 edition of the AMAAs.

Anyiam-Osigwe also disclosed that AMAA will forever honor the slain animator by renaming the best Animation award in his name.

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Anyiam-Osigwe believes that Jibril’s death should be a wake up call for stakeholders in the creative industry.

According to her, “Jibril was easily one of the top 10 animators in Africa – a crazy editor, a fantastic crew member, a no stress team player, the vicious death is a wake up call for us to speak out. We create things, it is time we used our voices in film, music, dance to shout loud and clear that this unnecessary killings should stop.”

AMAA’s Director of Administration, Tony Anih expressed shock at the news of the death of Jibril saying he was very good and consistent with his art.

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"It was with rude shock that AMAA received the news of the death of Mailafia who was nominated in the animation category in this years award. His entry is titled Group Foto. Yes, he was that good and consistent with his art. He will forever be remembered by AMAA as one of the young brilliant creative talents in animation to ever come out of Africa. We will continue to hold a candle in your name that will never burn out,” Anih said.

The 2018 edition of the AMAA is scheduled to take place in Kigali, Rwanda on October 20, 2018.