6 Nigerian Films That Have Sparked Oscar Considerations

The 2024 Academy Awards, commonly referred to as the Oscars, will mark its 96th edition on 11th March 2024. These prestigious awards honour artistic and technical excellence in the film industry and are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, located in Beverly Hills, California, United States. The awards recognise outstanding achievements in cinema as evaluated by the Academy’s voting membership.

For filmmakers, receiving recognition at the Oscars is one of the highest honours attainable, often a coveted aspiration for many in the industry. While Nigerian cinema, or Nollywood, has experienced significant growth in recent years, characterised by improved storytelling, technical prowess, and increasing global visibility, an Oscar nomination or win remains an elusive achievement.

Despite the absence of Nigerian films among Oscar nominees thus far, several compelling cinematic works have sparked discussions and raised hopes for potential recognition on the prestigious platform.

In this article, we will explore five Nigerian films that have captured attention and ignited speculation about the possibility of receiving an Oscar nod.

1. Lionheart (2018)

Lionheart is a 2018 Nigerian drama film produced by Chinny Onwugbenu and directed by Genevieve Nnaji. Starring Pete Edochie, Genevieve Nnaji, and Nkem Owoh, it made history by becoming the first Netflix original film produced in Nigeria when it was acquired by Netflix on 7 September 2018.

The film was chosen as Nigeria’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 92nd Academy Awards, marking the first time Nigeria had submitted a film to the Oscars. 

The Best International Feature Film category has specific requirements that must be met before a film can be submitted. Some of these criteria include:

1. The film must have had its initial release in the country submitting it, followed by a minimum of 7 consecutive days of screening in a movie theatre.

2. The film should predominantly feature non-English dialogue. Movies primarily in English will not qualify for the award.

3. The film must not have been transmitted electronically or in any other way before its official theatrical release.

So, on 4 November 2019, the Academy disqualified Lionheart due to the majority of its dialogue being in English, with only about ten minutes of the film presented in Igbo.

2. The Milkmaid 

The Milkmaid is a 2020 Nigerian drama film directed by Desmond Ovbiagele. It was chosen as the Nigerian entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 93rd Academy Awards, although it did not receive a nomination. The film features Anthonieta Kalunta, Gambo Usman Kona, and Maryam Booth in leading roles.

Set in a Hausa-speaking region, The Milkmaid is a thriller focusing on the impact of insurgency, particularly on women and children in Sub-Saharan Africa. Inspired by the image depicted on Nigeria’s 10 Naira note, the film narrates the journey of a Fulani milkmaid as she confronts extremists in a rural African community while searching for her missing sister. The narrative explores the complexities of recapturing a disrupted past.

Although The Milkmaid was among the initial 93 eligible films, it did not make it to the final shortlist of 15 nominees. Nonetheless, its official acceptance by the Academy marked a significant milestone for Nigeria at the Oscars, following the disqualification of the country’s first submission, Lionheart, in 2019 due to language issues.

3, 4 &5. Anikulapo/Elesin Oba/ Agesinkole

The 2023 submission was rife with controversies as three non-English titles were put forward for the Oscar race, but none of them were selected. These films included Kunle Afolayan’s Anikulapo, Biyi Bandele’s Elesin Oba, and Tope Adebayo and Adebayo Tijani’s King of Thieves: Agesinkole.

In September 2023, the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) announced that no Nollywood film would be featured in the International Feature Film (IFF) award category at the Oscars for that year. The committee selected three films to advance to the finals: ‘King of Thieves’, ‘Anikulapo’, and ‘Eleshin Oba’.

On September 3, 2022, the committee declared a “no film eligibility” decision. According to Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi, head of the NOSC, the committee stated that it had been unable to find a submission that met the criteria.

This decision sparked controversies within the filmmaking industry and among committee members, who appeared to be divided. Speculations arose regarding whether the committee should be allowed to revote and change its verdict.

However, in October, the NOSC reached a no-revote verdict, despite the Oscars organisers extending the submission deadline, giving the NOSC the opportunity to reconvene and revote.

6. Mami Wata 

Mami Wata is a 2023 black-and-white fantasy thriller film penned and directed by C.J. “Fiery” Obasi, drawing inspiration from West African folklore. The film made its debut at the prestigious 2023 Sundance Film Festival, marking Obasi’s third feature to be showcased at Sundance.

In October 2023, Mami Wata was chosen as the Nigerian entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards by The Nigerian Official Selection Committee. However, on Thursday, December 21, 2023, the Oscars announced its shortlists for the 96th Academy Awards in various categories, bringing an end to Nigeria’s participation in the competition.

The film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, marking Obasi’s third feature to screen at Sundance. It is a co-production between Nigeria, France and the United Kingdom.

The movie is predominantly told in Nigerian pidgin, a linguistic code rather than a formal language. Consequently, the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) had to modify its rules to include pidgin as an indigenous Nigerian language in order for the film to be eligible for submission.