IN September 2022, the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee failed to submit a Nigerian film for the International Feature Film category of the Oscars and the move was met with serious reactions from top practitioners.
From two members of the committee resigning their position and returning after intervention from other practitioners to petitions from different guilds, practitioners have continued to react to the NOSC decision.
As of Friday, October 20, 2022, filmmakers have since blamed the situation on the sudden introduction of a “no film eligible” category in the framework on which the committee’s internal voting was based.
Peace Anyiam-Osigwe posited that the ‘no film eligible’ clause introduced by the NOSC is unacceptable. The President of the Association of Movie Producers insisted that the films that have been submitted should be considered and at least one should be submitted for the IFF category.
Filmmaker Mildred Okwo took the same route as Anyiam-Osigwe saying NOSC should submit one of the entries shortlisted to represent the country in the 2023 Oscars.
Okwo also said the “no film eligible” option should be expunged from the committee’s ballot as it remains the only source of confusion in the process.
“The committee must come together regardless of any prior disagreements to resolve the issues,” she said.
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Okwo also said her silence was being misconstrued as weakness in a turn of events she feared could put her credibility and reputation in harm’s way.
However, the Chairperson of NOSC, Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi has said that the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences did not order the Committee to undertake another voting exercise as speculated in some quarters.
She disclosed that she had written to the Academy for clarifications after receiving the directive for a five-day grace of extension to reconvene, and got a response saying: “the Academy is unable to dictate voting procedure or influence any outcome regarding voting. Any decisions regarding re-voting must be decided by the full Nigerian Official Selection Committee based on the Selection Committee’s own internal rules and regulations.”
There have been reports of a series of petitions to the Academy by some members of the Committee who, allegedly, are in favour of one of the films, thus asking for a re-vote, even though the outcome of the members’ voting exercise of September 3, 2022, favoured “No Submission”.
Eight out of the 15-member committee voted to not have any film submitted, according to the simple majority rule that could be interpreted from the 8-5-1-1 voting patterns recorded.
Anyaene also said that the Academy did not order re-voting, which might suggest that they are interfering in the internal affairs of the Nigerian body. “This is not the case, and the Academy has made it clear in its response,” she said.