Jeta Amata is a Nigerian filmmaker, born on August 21, 1974, to popular Nigerian actor Zack Amata. He comes from a family of veteran filmmakers including Ifoghale Amata, Zack Amata and Fred Amata. Growing up in the film industry, following his family's passion for film, Jeta produced and directed his first film, Glamour Boyz, at the age of 21, making it no surprise when he began to rise in the world of film and entertainment.
Education Amata studied Theater Arts at Benue State University in Makurdi, Nigeria.
Career Amata's work first went global when he produced a documentary film for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in 2003, using his film Game of Life as footage for the documentary. He holds 53 nominations and 10 wins for film awards in Africa, Europe and the United States, and is considered one of the most successful filmmakers to come out of West Africa.
Michel Joseph Martelly, President of Haiti, made Jeta Amata a Goodwill Ambassador to Haiti.
Amata worked with Academy Award winner Kim Basinger, Academy Award nominee Mickey Rourke, and music superstars Akon and Wyclef Jean on the 2012 film Black November.
Summary of works
2004–11 Amata's short film The Alexa Affair premiered at the 2004 Berlin Film Festival.
Amata's film The Amazing Grace, which won the Best West African Film Award at the 2006 Screen Nations Awards UK, holds the honour of being the first Nigerian film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
Soon afterwards, Amata would be recognized for such movies as Inale and Mary Slessor.
2012–present Black November premiered at the United Nations during the General Assembly in 2012 and was also screened at the Kennedy Center as well as at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The film inspired the sponsoring of a bi-partisan resolution on the Niger Delta of Nigeria members of the 112th United States Congress, H.CON.RES.121.
Amata had screenings of his documentary Into the Delta, on the situation of the Niger Delta, shown in nine universities in the United States, including NYU, George Washington University, UCLA and Cornell.
Filmography
YearTitleRoleNotes1996Glamour BoysDirector, writer, producer 1997No More Food for the GodsDirector, writer, producer 2001MutandaDirector, writer, producera2002Black Mamba (video)Director, writer, producerTears of a WomanDirector, writer, producer2003Unconditional LoveDirector, writer, producerLove Entangle (video)Director, writer, producerstarring: Kate Henshaw, Segun ArinzeDangerous Desire (video)Director, writer, producer2004Queen (video)Director, writer, producerstarring: Nkiru Sylvanus, Stella DamasusQueen 2 (video)Director, writer, producerThe Alexa Affair (short)Director, writer, actor2005Wheel of ChangeDirector, writer, producerstarring: Mbong Amata, Stella DamasusUltimate CrisisDirector, writer, producerLast GameDirector, writer, producerstarring: Dakore Akande, Rita Dominic, Ini Edo, Enyinna Nwigwe2006The Amazing GraceDirector, writer, producerstarring: Mbong Amata, Joke Silva2007Game of LifeDirector, writer, producer2008Mary Slessor (TV series)Director, writer, producerstarring: Mbong Amata, Enyinna Nwigwe2009Queen AminaDirector, writer, producer2010InaleDirector, writer, producerstarring: Mbong Amata, Caroline Chikezie, Ini Edo2012Black NovemberDirector, writer, producerstarring: Mbong Amata, Enyinna Nwigwe2013The American KingDirector, writer, producer2016Road to RedemptionDirector, writer, producerstarring: Viva Bianca, Akon, Margaret Avery, Zack Amata
Awards and nominations
Verona International African Film Festival, Best Film, Black November, 2011 Verona International African Film Festival, Audience Award, Black November, 2011 Monaco International Film Festival, Most Entertaining Film, Inale, 2011 Copenhagen Nollywood Festival, Best Film, Black November, 2011 American Black Film Festival (ABFF), Best Director (nominated), Black November, 2011 American Black Film Festival (ABFF), Best Picture (nominated), Black November, 2011 American Black Film Festival (ABFF), Best Screenplay, Black November, 2011 Nigerian Entertainment Awards, Best Film, Inale, 2011 African Academy Movie Awards AAMA, Best Nigerian Film (nominated), Inale, 2011 NFVSB Awards Nigeria, Best Film, Inale, 2010 Abuja International Film Festival, Audience Awards, Mary Slessor, 2009 Abuja International Film Festival, Best Short, Mary Slessor, 2009 SIMA AWARDS, Best Director, The Amazing Grace, 2008 Screen Nations Awards, Best West African Film, The Amazing Grace, 2007 Nigeria Movie Awards NMA, Best Director (nominated), The Amazing Grace, 2007 Nigeria Movie Awards NMA, Best Picture (nominated), The Amazing Grace, 2007 Nigeria Movie Awards NMA, Best Cinematography, The Amazing Grace, 2007 African Academy Movie Awards AAMA, Best Director (nominated), The Amazing Grace, 2006 African Academy Movie Awards AAMA, Best Cinematography, The Amazing Grace, 2006 African Academy Movie Awards AAMA, Best Picture (nominated), The Amazing Grace, 2006 African Academy Movie Awards AAMA, Best Screenplay (nominated), The Amazing Grace, 2006
Personal life In 2001 at an audition in Calabar he met Mbong Amata. Two years later, when she was 18, they began dating. They married in 2008 and their daughter Veno was born later that year. In 2013 they separated and in 2014 they divorced.
Amata is currently in a partnership with Vanessa Teemsma, who has worked in production on his films, including Black November. Amata and Teemsma welcomed a son in 2019, named Kessiena Donald Amata, the middle name was after Teemsma's father.
See also List of Nigerian film producers :Category:Films directed by Jeta Amata
References
External links Jeta Amata: Nollywood's Gift to Hollywood from TheGuardian.com African Voices: Jeta Amata-Filmmaker