With ‘No Film’ Consensus,  Nigeria Misses Out on Oscars Again

Vanessa Obioha

For the second time since 2020, Nigeria’s chance to be nominated for the Oscars was dashed again. The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)  announced recently that the films submitted for the 2023 Oscars did not meet the voting chart of its members who deliberated in a two-hour session. NOSC recorded a voting chart of 8:5:1:1 from its 15 members – with “No Film is Eligible” taking the lead.

“Nigerian films had, no doubt, improved significantly as the awareness of the requirements has since grown among filmmakers, and potentially soon, we just might be bringing this award home in succession,” said Chairperson of NOSC, Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi.

Nigeria’s journey to be nominated in the International Feature Film (IFF) category of the Oscars is yet to be a reality starting with the disqualification of Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘Lionheart’ in 2019. Hope was glimpsed when ‘The Milkmaid’ made the Oscars IFF longlist in 2020. Ever since no film has been found worthy to be submitted for the Oscars. 

“Filmmakers need to get more acquainted with Oscars-nominated films in the IFF category so as to achieve the needed international recognition and put our films in its acclaimed level of creative discourse,” said Anyaene-Abonyi.

The IFF award is presented annually by the Academy to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States that contains 50 per cent or more of non-English dialogue.