The prospect of a Nigerian film winning the International Feature Film Oscar at the 2024 Academy Awards has been shattered as the nominee for the prize did not make the cut.
When the Sundance Festival winner “Mami Wata” was selected by the Nigerian Official Section Committee (NOSC) to compete in the 96th Academy Awards’ International Feature Film (IFF) category, excitement was in the air.
But after the release of the fifteen countries’ shortlisted films, the movie didn’t quite work out.
For the 96th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the shortlists in ten categories on Thursday.
Films listed for the International Feature Film are:
Armenia, “Amerikatsi”
Bhutan, “The Monk and the Gun”
Denmark, “The Promised Land”
Finland, “Fallen Leaves”
France, “The Taste of Things”
Germany, “The Teachers’ Lounge”
Iceland, “Godland”
Italy, “Io Capitano”
Japan, “Perfect Days”
Mexico, “Totem”
Morocco, “The Mother of All Lies”
Spain, “Society of the Snow”
Tunisia, “Four Daughters”
Ukraine, “20 Days in Mariupol”
United Kingdom, “The Zone of Interest”
The IFF’s Nigerian Official Section Committee (NOSC) announced that it had chosen the film “Mami Wata” due to its “technical and artistic excellence, its unique approach to a story of pre- and post-colonial African societies, and its relevant theme – multiple generations of women at the forefront of society’s well-being.”
C.J. Obasi wrote and directed the movie. The movie explores and imaginatively reimagines the legend of the titular mermaid-deity from West African tradition, celebrating womanhood among other things.
“Mami Wata,” which was filmed on location in the Republic of Benin, is the tale of a beachside community forced to reevaluate long-held beliefs when a stranger washes up on the strand and jeopardizes the peace even more.
The film’s striking black-and-white photography earned it the Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival 2023. It was released in theaters in Nigeria and other nations.
Nigeria will be aiming to produce a film that will make the 2025 Oscar shortlist and ultimately win the coveted prize, having now lost out on the 2024 Oscars.
The 96th Academy Awards are scheduled for Sunday, March 10, 2024. Live broadcasting of the program from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation in Hollywood will take place on ABC and in over 200 regions globally.
