Djimon Hounsou (Benin) is an award show favorite, already picking up 3 nominations this year for his role in Blood Diamond. In 2006 Hounsou was nominated for and won two awards in the Best Supporting Actor Category at the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards as well as the National Board of Review. 2007 is looking even better with 4 nominations for: (1) a Screen Actors Guild Award (Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role), (2) a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award (Best Supporting Actor), (3) a Black Reel Award (Best Supporting Actor) and (4) an NAACP Award (Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture). Is an Oscar nod next?
Chiwetel Ejifor (Nigeria) is on a role as well (excuse the bad pun). His roles in Kinky Boots and Children of Men have earned him 2 Black Reel Awards nominations for Best Supporting Actor. He is also nominated for 2 Golden Globes; first, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television for his role in the HBO TV Series Tsunami and second, for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for Kinky Boots. Two is definitely Chiwetel's lucky number and maybe he'll walk away with all two awards at the two respective award shows where he has been nominated!
African actresses are definitely holding their own in the award show circuit. Thandie Newton (Zimbabwe) picked up an NAACP Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture nomination for her role in the The Pursuit of Happyness and, for her role alongside Chiwetel Ejifor in Tsunami, Sophie Okonedo (Nigeria) picked up a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television.
As for movies about our favorite topic--Africa--that are doing well, so far The Last King of Scotland (a fictional account about former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada) and Blood Diamond (a fictional account about conflict diamonds originating from Sierra Leone) have generated a lot of positive critical buzz.
MIMI Mambo Link: Coming To Theatres www.mimimagazine.com/november2006/02-08-movies01.html
