Veteran Namibian actor Armas Shivute has dedicated his Best Actor in Southern Africa award of the 2021 Sotigui Awards to the Namibian people.
Shivute was named winner on Saturday evening in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for his role in the ‘Land of the Brave’ film.
He became the third Namibian to win the award in three consecutive years, following Adriano Visagie in 2019 for the film ‘Salute’ and Girley Jazama in 2020 for the film ‘The White Line’.
Sotigui works to recognise and valorise the profession of actors in African cinema and the diaspora in partnership with the Pan-African festival of cinema and television.
Shivute, who plays the role of detective Shivute in the film, expressed joy and appreciation.
Before boarding his flight back home from Ouagadougou, he told VIBEZ!: “I just want to thank the people of Namibia for the support, and the Sotigui Academy for this recognition. I want to thank Tim (director Tim Huebschle) and David Benade (producer) for the opportunity, my co-cast members for the brilliant work, the Namibia Film Commission and Kalahari Holdings for supporting me in getting to the awards; my family and friends for always being there. This award is for Namibia”.
Since its premiere in 2019, the film has also won the Best Narrative Feature at the 2020 Silicon Valley African Film Festival, and has been selected this year for the Pan African Film Festival.
Shivute said the win means a lot in terms of how Namibians’ work is being recognised internationally, adding “this is an achievement that every creative person is striving to achieve”.
The popular Radio Kosmos host, who was accompanied by fellow actor Visagie, said the hospitality of the people of Burkina Faso in general, the organisers and the people who came to attend the awards, has been “overwhelming”.
“We have had networking opportunities, and we hope these talks will give birth to more opportunities.”
The talented actor has thus far won Namibia Films and Theatre Best Actor award in 2012; City of Windhoek Festival Best Play in 2006; and College of the Arts Best Play and Best Actor in 1998.