Nigeria has selected Dear Ajayi as its official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards.
The Nigerian Official Selection Committee, which is responsible for selecting the country’s entry for the Oscars, announced the film’s selection after reviewing eligible submissions.
According to Arise News report on Tuesday, Dear Ajayi will now enter the next stage of the Academy Awards process, where it will be considered alongside international films submitted by other countries.
The film’s selection does not guarantee an Oscar nomination. It must first go through the Academy’s consideration process before the final nominees for the Best International Feature Film category are announced.
Reacting to the selection, NOSC Chairperson Stephanie Linus congratulated the filmmakers and expressed optimism about the film’s prospects in the next stage.
“We congratulate the filmmakers behind Dear Ajayi on their selection,” Linus said.
“We look forward to presenting the film for the Academy’s consideration and wish the team every success in the next stage of the process.”
Directed, written and produced by Damilola Orimogunje, Dear Ajayi is a period drama set in southwestern Nigeria in the 1990s.
The film follows two sisters, Ade and Titi Ajayi, whose lives take different paths before their strained relationship is tested when their ailing mother comes to live with them.
As the sisters deal with grief, faith, ambition and family expectations, old resentments resurface and force them to confront the choices that have shaped their lives.
The 99th Academy Awards will consider films from different countries and film industries around the world as part of the selection process for the Best International Feature Film category.
Nigeria’s submission will therefore face further consideration by the Academy before the final shortlist and nominees are announced.
