Soul Boy nominated for five African Movie Academy Awards

On Sunday, March 27, was the time for the “African Oscars”, African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA). Nominated in five categories was the Kenyan drama Soul Boy by director Hawa Essuman. The film has been supported by the Göteborg International Film Festival Fund.

Soul Boy is a Kenyan drama written by Billy Kahora and directed by debutant Hawa Essuman. The film is produced in collaboration with German director Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) and filmed in Kibera, one of Africa's largest slum areas. African Movie Academy Awards will be held in Yenagoa in Nigeria. Soul Boy was nominated in the following categories: Achievement in Screenplay, Best Editing, Best Film in African Language, Best Young Actor (Samson Odhiambo and Leila Dayan Opou), Best Director and Best Film. The film won the prize for Best Editing.

Soul Boy is the first result of a project called Film Africa!, initiated by Tom Tykwer's company One Fine Day Films. They run a film school where experienced filmmakers from around the world share their knowledge with young African filmmakers. The project’s second film has just been completed, Nairobi Half Life, directed by David Tosh Gitonga.

Göteborg International Film Festival in cooperation with SIDA supports filmmakers in developing countries. The Fund has since 1998 provided support to nearly 150 film projects from more than 25 countries as well as workshops and training courses.


Watch an interview with the director and producer here