2023 Oscars: Nigeria misses deadline, gets one-week extension to submit movies
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars) has extended the Nigerian official selection committee’s deadline to select a movie to represent Nigeria by one week.
The committee set up to select an indigenous movie, over the last month, has faced backlash and termed “fraudulent” by the executive director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Adedayo Thomas, due to an internal crisis as they failed to submit any film for consideration, after declining all submitted movies, including Kunle Afolayan’s Anikulapo, EbonyLife’s Elesin Oba (The King’s Horseman) and Adebayo Tijani and Tope Adebayo’s King of Thieves.
Sharing his excitement on the extension, popular Nigerian filmmaker Kunle Afolayan tweeted, “It’s just been confirmed that The academy ‘OSCARS’ has given the Nigerian Oscars selection committee a week extension to revote and represent a film to represent Nigeria by October 21st latest. God’s hand is in this one I believe! Anikulapo on my mind.”
Following the chaotic decision-making process of the committee, two committee members, culture and film Journalist Shaibu Husseini and filmmaker Mildred Okwo resigned amid “rash, intemperate and baseless allegations” of trying to induce votes made by the committee’s chair Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi against EbonyLife’s Mo Abudu.
In a letter addressed to Anyaene-Abonyi, by the Oscars, a one-week extension to reconvene and conclude the three films in contention was granted to the committee.
“The International Feature Film Executive Committee reviewed the issues regarding the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (the Selection Committee on behalf of the country of Nigeria) and has granted an extension of one week with the deadline of October 21, 2022 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time,” the Oscars letter stated.
It further said that the entire “approved Nigerian Official Selection Committee will be required to all reconvene and make a final determination regarding a submission to the International Feature Film category for the 95th Academy Awards. The final determination must be delivered by the approved Nigerian Official Selection Committee chair and co-chair.”
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
States
Stakeholders seek improved health budget implementation in Kaduna
Mr Guje described CSOs as representatives of communities.
States
NEMA distributes life jackets, relief materials to Gorau boat accident victims
Gorau village head, Aliyu Magaji, was one of the survivors of the boat accident.
Agriculture
Plant breeders seek increased investment in research to boost food security
Mr Adetimirin said investment in plant breeding was essential to developing improved crop varieties with higher yields.
NationWide
Gani Fawehinmi Lecture: Groups demand reforms to tackle insecurity, hardship
Participants at the event stressed the need to sustain the late Mr Fawehinmi’s struggle for justice.
States
Postmortem reveals Davido’s ally Ubiribo died from complications of penis enlargement surgery in Thailand
Ubiribo, 43, was on holiday with his wife, Danielle Simba Allen, when he underwent the procedure.
Anti-Corruption
Nigerian ex-immigration officer, associate charged for accepting bribes to unlawfully approve green cards, U.S. citizenship applications
Messrs Ganiyu and Somoye had their initial court appearances on September 2.
