By Vanessa Obioha
Any hope of Nigeria participating in the 93rd Academy Awards popularly known as the Oscars scheduled for April was dashed by the release of shortlist of the International Feature Film, a category that celebrates films from other climes than the United States with predominantly non-English dialogue.
The body has earlier released a long list of films from 93 countries eligible for competing in this category. Nigeria’s submission, ‘The Milkmaid’ was among films eligible to compete.
However, in a shortlist released by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences — the body behind the Oscars — Tuesday, ‘The Milkmaid’ failed to make the cut. Only 15 films from countries such as Chile, Tunisia, Iran, Mexico, Romania, Norway would advance to the nominations round where Academy members will be invited to opt in to participate and view all 15 shortlisted films to vote.
Although ‘The Milkmaid’, an Hausa language-based thriller on insurgency, especially as it affects women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa by Desmond Ovbiagele didn’t advance to the shortlist as many wished and expected, it is a good start for Nollywood. The Nigeria Oscars Submission Committee (NOSC), the body in charge of submitting films to the Academy Awards for Nigeria, has fervently pursued an opportunity for Nollywood to participate in the global film awards. In 2019, its submission, Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘Lionheart’ was disqualified for not meeting the language requirement. The body was criticized by many for that shortcoming. ‘The Milkmaid’ however became the first Nigerian film to be confirmed eligible to compete.
“While we wish ‘The Milkmaid’ and indeed our country further success in the remaining journey towards the 93rd Academy Awards in April, we look further into the years ahead with greater determination to continue to play on this global stage. If we have done anything to get Nigeria to the present feat, rest assured that the NOSC will do even more in the coming years of the Oscars,” NoSC Chairperson Chinese Anyaene-Abonyi had said following ‘The Milkmaid’ eligibility confirmation.
African films that made the shortlist include Ivory Coast’s ‘Night of the Kings’ and Tunisia’s ‘The Man Who Sold His Skin’.
Nominations voting for the Oscars will officially begin on Friday, March 5, and conclude on Wednesday, March 10.
Nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards will be announced on Monday, March 15, while the main ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, April 25, 2021.
