The Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) has advised Nollywood actors on improved film production and submission of quality movies for Oscars awards.

Victor Okhai, the DGN national president, advised against the backdrop of the recent media exchanges between the Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee (NOSC) and Nollywood filmmakers.

He said this had generated concern among Nigerians over the country’s lack of representation at the 2023 Oscars.

“National interests should take precedence over personal interests, as the Oscar is not the beginning and end of the world,” Mr Okhai said. “Nigerian filmmakers should focus on making good films and avoid dragging ourselves before the Oscars.”

According to him, filmmakers usually focus on winning awards rather than ensuring that the production meets the Oscars’ standards.

“Nigerian filmmakers approach their craft differently because they are all driven by the desire to win the Oscars. They do this, rather than by the need to ensure that the films they submit to the International Feature Film (IFF) category of the Academy Awards are technically and artistically up to par,” he said.

Mr Okhai noted that before the establishment of the Nigerian Oscar committee in 2013, Nollywood productions frequently failed to meet the technical requirements of a cinema film due to the emphasis on home videos.

“With the emergence of multiple streaming platforms, they appear to be more promising, but it remains to be seen how far and sustainable the current trend will last,” he said.

Mr Okhai noted that in nearly 75 years, only three African films had won the Oscars for the best foreign feature, adding that despite the enormity of Bollywood’s film industry, India had yet to win the award for the best international film, with Europe dominating the category.

“The Oscars will find us at the right time if we focus more on the work that we do,” he stressed. “The recognition that we get from the work that we do is far more valuable than any validation that will come from any external source.” 

(NAN)