Oscars 2022: Nigerian Selection Committee Calls for Films Submission

By Vanessa Obioha

The race to the 94th Academy Awards, also known as the Oscars, has officially begun for Nigeria as the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), has called on Nigerian filmmakers to submit their films.

The selection exercise, which will be undertaken by the NOSC, is expected to present one film as Nigeria’s entry in the International Feature Film (IFF) Award category.

The IFF Award is presented annually by the Academy to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains 50% or more of non-English dialogue. The Academy, in 2020, approved Pidgin English as a qualification for this category.

The 94th Academy Awards requires that films submitted must meet other criteria, including accurate English subtitles, exhibition formats, and theatrical releases for at least seven consecutive days in Nigeria, between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. However, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, films that were scheduled to have a theatrical release but were instead made available through a streaming service are also eligible.

This year, ‘The Milkmaid’ made history as the first Nigerian film to be approved by the Academy to compete in the IFF category of the 93rd Academy Awards. However, it didn’t make the shortlist.

The window for film submission, according to the committee, is open from September 20, 2021 and will close on October 4, 2021.

Meanwhile, NOSC has also announced the inclusion of leading Nollywood actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and award-winning filmmaker, Izu Ojukwu in the selection committee. Omotola, a voting member of the Academy since 2018 and Izu Ojukwu, scriptwriter, cinematographer and director of ‘Sitanda’, ‘76’, and ‘White Waters’ are expected to bring their pedigrees and experiences to bear, in the selection process for a Nigerian entry.

The NOSC is headed by filmmaker and entrepreneur, Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi. Members include Chairman of Audio-Visual Rights Society (AVRS) of Nigeria, Mahmood Ali-Balogun; Filmmaker/Talent Manager, Mildred Okwo; veteran actress and filmmaker, Ego Boyo; Director and Cinematographer, Adetokunbo ‘DJ Tee’ Odubawo; Theatre Practitioner, Yibo Koko; Managing Director of FilmOne Entertainment, Moses Babatope; CEO of Legend Box Office, Bruce Ayonote; Filmmaker and Founder of In-Short Film Festival, Victor Okhai; notable actress and producer, Omoli Oboli and Journalist/Film Critic, Shaibu Husseini.