Jeta Amata is a Nigerian

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

, 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 Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

Career

His work first went global when he produced a documentary film for the

British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public broadcasting, public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved in ...

(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 Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam (born April 16, 1973), known mononymously as Akon (), is a Senegalese-United States, American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. An influ ...

and

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean ( ; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the Northeastern United States, United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a Ne ...

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 honor of being the first Nigerian film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival. Soon after, Jeta would be recognized for such movies as ''Inale'' and ''Mary Slessor''.

2012-present

'' Black November'' premiered at the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

during the General Assembly in 2012 and was also screened at the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

as well as the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

The film inspired the sponsoring of a bi-partisan resolution on the

Niger Delta The Niger Delta is the delta of the Niger River sitting directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean in Nigeria. It is located within nine coastal southern Nigerian states, which include: all six states from the South South geopolitic ...

of Nigeria members of the

112th United States Congress The 112th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, from January 3, 2011, until January 3, 2013. It convened in Washington, D.C., on January 3, 2011, and ended on January 3, 2013, 17 ...

, 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 U.S. including

NYU New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a non-denominational all-male institutio ...

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

and

Cornell Cornell University is a private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson White in 1865. Since ...

Filmography

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 Mbong Amata (born 21 September 1985) is a Nigerian actress. She has appeared in films such as '' Black November'', ''Forgetting June'', and '' Inale''. She won the "Most Beautiful Girl" ( Akwa Ibom) in 2003 and was the 2nd runner up in the 200 ...

. 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.

References

External links

Jeta Amata: Nollywood's Gift to Hollywood
fro
TheGuardian.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amata, Jeta Nigerian film directors 1974 births Living people Benue State University alumni Nigerian male film actors Nigerian film producers Nigerian media personalities