| Jeta Amata | |
| Birth Date: | 21 August 1974 |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Citizenship: | Nigerian |
| Education: | Theater Arts, Benue State University |
| Alma Mater: | Benue State University |
| Occupation: | Film Maker |
| Notable Works: | Black November |
| Father: | Zack Amata |
| Relatives: | Fred Amata |
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.[1] 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.
Amata studied Theater Arts at Benue State University in Makurdi, Nigeria.
His 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.[2]
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.
Black November premiered at the United Nations during the General Assembly in 2012 and was also screened at the Kennedy Center as well as 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 U.S. including NYU, George Washington University, UCLA and Cornell.
The President of Haiti, Michel Joseph Martelly, 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.
In 2001 at an audition in Calabar he met Mbong Amata.[3] 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.[4]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Glamour Boys | Director, writer, producer | ||
| 1997 | No More Food for the Gods | Director, writer, producer | ||
| 2001 | Mutanda | Director, writer, producer | ||
| 2002 | Black Mamba (video) | Director, writer, producer | ||
| Tears of a Woman | Director, writer, producer | |||
| 2003 | Unconditional Love | Director, writer, producer | ||
| Love Entangle (video) | Director, writer, producer | starring: Kate Henshaw, Segun Arinze | ||
| Dangerous Desire (video) | Director, writer, producer | |||
| 2004 | Queen (video) | Director, writer, producer | starring: Nkiru Sylvanus, Stella Damasus | |
| Queen 2 (video) | Director, writer, producer | |||
| The Alexa Affair (short) | Director, writer, actor | |||
| 2005 | Wheel of Change | Director, writer, producer | starring: Mbong Amata, Stella Damasus | |
| Ultimate Crisis | Director, writer, producer | |||
| Last Game | Director, writer, producer | starring: Dakore Akande, Rita Dominic, Ini Edo, Enyinna Nwigwe | ||
| 2006 | The Amazing Grace | Director, writer, producer | starring: Mbong Amata, Joke Silva | |
| 2007 | Game of Life | Director, writer, producer | ||
| 2008 | Mary Slessor (TV series) | Director, writer, producer | starring: Mbong Amata, Enyinna Nwigwe | |
| 2009 | Queen Amina | Director, writer, producer | ||
| 2010 | Inale | Director, writer, producer | starring: Mbong Amata, Caroline Chikezie, Ini Edo | |
| 2012 | Black November | Director, writer, producer | starring: Mbong Amata, Enyinna Nwigwe | |
| 2013 | The American King | Director, writer, producer | ||
| 2016 | Road to Redemption | Director, writer, producer | starring: Viva Bianca, Akon, Margaret Avery, Zack Amata |