Friday, August 30, 2013

SPECIAL FEATURE: The Guru behind The African Oscars-NAFCA - Dr. Victor O. Olatoye


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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