Dr. Victor O. Olatoye, is the
Founder and CEO of Nollywood & African Film Critics' Awards also known as
the African Oscars. Dr. Victor Olatoye, who has been referred to by the press
as the African American “Roger Ebert”, has written over five hundreds reviews
of African films and has several reports, awards, articles and published
interviews under his belt. Dr. Olatoye, a Nigerian American fluent in Greek,
received his doctorate at the Aristotle’s University Thessalonica in Greece.
Dr. Olatoye has traveled all over the world (25 countries and counting) and has
always appreciated filmmaking with various cultural influences while on his
tours. Dr Olatoye calls the beautiful city of Raleigh, North Carolina USA home.
In Dr. Victor O. Olatoye’s own words "The African film industry as a whole
is overdue for a reform and we are going to make it happen by critiquing
African Films and encouraging the African filmmakers to continuously perfect
the art of filmmaking. Nollywood and the African film industry as a whole will
one day earn the respect of Hollywood. African filmmakers will one day be able
to compete worldwide with Hollywood. That is our goal here at Nollywood Film
Critics USA. We are destined to reform the African film industry and when it is
all said and done they will be glad we did”
Under the leadership of Dr. Victor
Olatoye, the African Oscars has grown from a ballroom award to an award fit for
the legendary Warner Theatre with honorees both past and present which include
world leaders, diplomats, humanitarians, movie stars and other dignitaries.
Dr. Olatoye was able to develop the
award and increase its credibility thus making it possible to be adopted as an
official event of the African Heritage Month, this is a big deal and recently
the African Oscars-NAFCA has also been able to get a written endorsement of the
largest actors association in Africa (Actors Guild of Nigeria). This is the
first written endorsement of any award by this important body.
The African Oscars-NAFCA under the
leadership of Dr Olatoye has been able to increase the media partnership from 3
in 2011 to over 400 in 2013 www.africanoscar.com/mediapartners.aspx
Dr Olatoye is an achiever with over
3 major awards under his belt and looking to add one more to it as he attends
the MPAH Haiti Movie Academy Awards organized by the Motion Picture Association
of Haiti in November for a honorary award; for his contribution to the African
cinema through his film reviews and as a global ambassador of African culture
and heritage through films. He is named one of the most influential people, inspirational
and transformational figures of Nollywood and African cinema.
ABOUT THE AFRICAN OSCARS-NAFCA
The Nollywood & African Film
Critics’ Awards, now officially known as The African Oscars, are a set of
awards given annually for excellence of cinematic achievements. The African Oscars
statuette is officially named the NAFCA and is one of 3 types of Awards.
Organized and overseen by the Nollywood Film Critics USA. The other awards
include, NAFCA Special Honors, Nollywood & African People’s Choice Awards.
The awards are given each year at a
formal ceremony. The NAFCA was originally conceived by Dr. Victor O. Olatoye,
the CEO of Nollywood Film Critics USA, as a professional film review
organization to help improve the African film industry’s image and help promote
African culture and heritage through films. The awards themselves were later
initiated in 2011 in Durham North Carolina by Nollywood Film Critics USA as
awards "of merit for distinctive achievement" in the African film
industry.
These awards which were first given
in 2011 at a formal ceremony at the Research Triangle Park Sheraton Imperial in
Durham North Carolina were attended by only 400 people and one media. Over the
years that the award has been given, the categories presented have changed;
currently the African Oscars-NAFCA is given in more than three dozen
categories, and includes films of various types. As one of the most prominent
award ceremonies in Africa, the African Oscars-NAFCA ceremony is now covered by
over 400 media partners globally, thus making it the most covered African film
and honorary awards.
The 2nd African Oscars-NAFCA was held on Sunday, 16
September 2012, at the Carolina Theatre, Durham North Carolina USA. The 3rd edition will be held on Saturday, 14
September 2013, at the legendary Warner Theatre in Washington Dc USA; this will
be the largest to date for the African Oscars –NAFCA and for the African
cinema. Hollywood, Nollywood, Diplomats and Dignitaries will be in attendance.
The Special NAFCA Honors: These
prestigious awards were established in 2011 by the Nollywood & African Film
Critics’ Awards to grace the lives and achievements of African luminaries and
leaders. These honorary awards are awarded to recognize contributions over the
whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions of an
individual. The Special NAFCA Honors also recognize outstanding humanitarians
whose lives have been marked by extraordinary personal and professional
accomplishments. The NAFCA Special Honors first recipient in 2011 was President
Nelson Mandela. Recipients of this award
in subsequent years include President Yahya AJJ Jammeh of The Gambia and Hon.
Minister Yousou N’Dour of Senegal. In 2013 Honoree are: President Jonathan
Goodluck and President Ellen J. Sirleaf, Hon. Engr. Noah Dallaji (Philanthropist
ACTDF), Her Excellency Dame (Dr) Patience Jonathan Goodluck, HE Liyel Imoke
Hon. Governor of Cross River State, High Chief Edem Duke Hon. Minister of
Culture & Tourism-Nigeria, HE Chief T.A Orji Hon. Governor of Abia State,
Curtis Jackson (Philanthropist) & Her, Excellency Ama Tutu Muna Honorable
Minister of culture (Cameroon)
Presentations of The NAFCA Special
Honors are made yearly during the second weekend in September at the Nollywood
& African Film Critics’ Awards also known as the African Oscars. The award
categories include:
• LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS •
IMAGE AWARDS • PATRIOT AWARDS
AGN ENDORSES THE AFRICAN OSCARS
The African Oscars Becomes an Official
Event of the African Heritage Month in the USA
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