Earlier this year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences invited 842 members to join the Oscars organisation including three Nigerians.
They are the iconic director, Tunde Kelani, actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and writer Chinonye Chukwu.
Now, the academy has reconstituted the board of Nollywood stakeholders — the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC) in order to give Nigerian filmmakers a short at winning the prestigious Oscars award.
This board is calling on Nigerian filmmakers to submit entries for the Best International Feature Film’ category ahead of the Oscars set to hold on Sunday, February 9, 2020.
Speaking with the Premium Times, Nigerian filmmaker and NOSC chairman, Chineze Anyaene said, “We couldn’t make any submissions in previous years due to unavailability of qualifying films, but things are looking hopeful. This is why we are actively working towards having an entry this year.”
She added, “We don’t take this for granted. We hope the committee fulfils its original mandate, which is to give a platform to credible Nigerian films at the Oscars annually.”
Business Insider Sub Saharan Africa explores the criteria for Nigerian movies to be eligible for the Oscars:
- Entries must be 40 minutes long
- Produced outside the USA
- Open to Nigerian filmmakers either living in Nigeria or the Diaspora
- Must be released in Nigeria between October 1, 2018, and September 30, 2019
- Exhibited in a commercial cinema theatre for at least seven consecutive days
- Must be an original story
- Have great directing and acting
- Quality cinematography and sound
- According to Anyaene, the NOSC chairman, the recording of the original dialogue track and the completed picture must be predominantly in a language or languages other than English.
Nollywood filmmakers are advised to submit their films before September 20, 2019.
Source: https://www.pulse.ng