The film ‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti,’ about the late Afrobeat icon Fela Kuti’s mother, was among the top winners at the 2023 Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) Globe Awards.
The AFRIFF award ceremony concluded the week-long film festival in Lagos last weekend.
‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti,’ produced by Bolanle Austen Peters, won ‘Best Overall Feature Film’ and ‘Best Screenplay’.
The film, written by Tunde Babalola, follows Funmilayo from her days as the first female student at Abeokuta Grammar School until her marriage to Israel Ransome-Kuti.
The family stood up to oppression by establishing the Abeokuta Women’s Union, sparking a violent war against colonial and traditional rulers.
The film features movie stars like Joke Silva, Kehinde Bankole, Ibrahim Suleiman, Jide Kosoko, and Dele Odule.
Others are Adebayo Salami, Keppy Ekpenyong, Adunni Ade, Omowunmi Dada, Patrick Diabuah.
The annual award is organised to celebrate the best of African and global cinema, and honour films across different genres.
It also recognises the diversity and creativity of the film including original, innovative, and socially relevant works.
Below are the full list of winners:
- Best Overall Feature Film: “Funmilayo Ransom Kuti”
- Audience Choice Award: “I Do Not Come To You By Chance”
- Access Bank Best Short Film: “Until”23”
- Best Documentary: “White Nanny Black Child”
- Oronto Douglas Best Feature Film: “Funmilayo Ransom Kuti”
- Best International Feature: “Brothers,” Directed by Darkhan Tulegenov
- Best Director: Ellie Foumbi, “Our Father, The Devil”
- Best Performance Male: Gregory Ojefua “This is Lagos/Black Harvest”
- Special Jury Prize: “All the Colours of the World” and “White Nanny Black Child”
- Best International Short Film: “Nzu”
- Best Animation: “When Hearts Touch”
- Best Student Short Film: “Man and Masquerade”
- Best Screenplay: Tunde Babalola – “Funmilayo Ransom Kuti”
The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences examined ‘Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti’ for the Oscars.
The film will also be available on Amazon Prime Video.
Funmilayo was born on the 25th of October, 1900. She died on April 13, 1978, at the age of 77, from injuries sustained during a military raid on family property.
