TIPTOPSTARS

Obsession, a Cameroonian movie, made waves recently at the Zulu African Film Academy Awards, ZAFAA 2011 in London, England.

 Directed by Achille Brice, Obsession had three nominations and featured as the only Cameroonian motion picture at ZAFAA 2011. These nominations included best-up and-coming male 2011, best-up-coming female and best sound editing.

In the best up-and-coming male category, the character Tom in Obsession and in real life, Valerie Nchifor Awa is a performer that enthusiasts of African films should watch out for, according to Valerie Nchifor, who shared his views with this reporter after the London expedition. In the aforementioned category were challengers from Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Ghana.

Also in London was Ruth Nkwetie, a Cameroonian and nominee for the Best up-coming Female Category in the film Obsession.

Nominated for the best sound quality category, Nchifor said ZAFAA has brought to the fore the top sound quality of Obsession, adding that the latter is the first English language Cameroonian film to have had three nominations in an international motion picture festival.

After seven years in the silver screen industry, Nchifor has joined the ranks of some Cameroonian award winners. He debuted with Leather Gangster, directed by Rene Eta. He will move on to feature in Mirrage, A Woman’s World, The Forsaken and Dealer - shot in Mutengene and Douala.

Now 29, Nchifor was part of a CRTV serial dubbed “Enigma”, directed by Billy Bob Ndive Lifongo.A 2009 graduate from the Department of Curriculum Studies, CST – Biology, University of Buea, UB, Nchifor got into the film industry as a past time but today, “It’s a great passion,” he noted. “The ZAFAA 2011 is a great motivation, I have to work harder. The future is looks bright and that of the Cameroonian film industry. This is a stepping stone in my career and I am convinced that film making can put bread and butter on my table,” he added.After the London stopover, Nchifor is networking with Nigerian, Ghanaian and other Cameroonian film makers in the US, South Africa, who have expressed the interest to work with him.Obsession was initially screened in Stuttgart, Germany on April 7 2011. It has also been submitted for the Africa Movie Academy Awards, AMAA 2012 due in the month of March.