The Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) has given advice to Nollywood actors on how to improve their filmmaking and get rid of any internal issues that would prevent them from submitting high-calibre films for upcoming Oscar nominations.
The recommendation was made in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos by Mr. Victor Okhai, the DGN National President.
Okhai offered the advice in light of recent media coverage of the Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee’s (NOSC) meetings with Nollywood filmmakers.
He said that because of this, Nigerians were now worried that they wouldn’t be at the Oscars in 2023.
He stated that Nollywood performers should keep their attention on the creation of high-quality films rather than allow this to lead to internal strife.
“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 are submitting to the International Feature Film (IFF) category of the Academy Awards are technically and artistically up to par,” he said.
Okhai stated that there were several reasons why Nigerian films were not eligible for submission at the awards event.
He listed a few of the contributing causes, including a lack of finance for joint projects and technical assistance from overseas organizations.
According to him, the fundamental issue still lies in adhering strictly to the requirements for qualification and submission rather than stirring up emotions.
According to him, because of the emphasis on home videos, Nollywood productions frequently fell short of meeting the technical standards of a cinema film prior to the foundation of the Nigerian Oscar Committee in 2013.
“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.
“The Nigerian film industry is attempting to demonstrate that it can compete favourably with other developing film nations throughout the world.
“Even if the quality of Nollywood productions improves, an Oscar nomination or win is not certain as we continue to drag ourselves out there, especially when the Oscars are coming up.
“The Oscars are merely a marketing game in which anyone who can attract attention can win, the quality of films at the Oscars will not depreciate, as good films will always stand out.
“National interests should take precedence over personal interests, as the Oscar is not the beginning and end of the world, Nigerian filmmakers should focus on making good films and avoid dragging ourselves before the Oscars,” he said.
According to him, to be eligible for the Academy Awards, a film must also meet a number of additional requirements, such as being dominated by the native language of the country it represents.
“Another requirement is that the film must be released during the calendar period mandated by the Oscars, having appropriate English subtitles,” he said.
Prior to being broadcast on streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and traditional television, the movie has to be watched in theatres for at least seven days in the country it represents.
“In 2019, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences caused a stir by disqualifying the first Oscar entry from Nigeria’s massive film industry.
“The submission of the film was seen as a watershed moment for the country’s film industry, a film called “Lionheart,” which is Genevieve Nnaji’s first directing debut that met every other requirement.
“And it was disqualified from the International Feature category because the 95-minute film, Lionheart is largely in English, with an 11-minute section in the Igbo language.
“The decision prompted widespread outrage and criticism in the Nigerian, British, and American film industries, with many blaming colonialism rather than Nigerian filmmakers.
“Nigerians’ expectations were dashed once more when “The Milkmaid,” a Hausa language insurgency thriller, produced and directed by Desmond Ovbiagele, failed to make the first shortlist of the 15 foreign films chosen for the International Feature Film category in December 2020,” he said.
Only three African films had received the best foreign feature Oscar in the previous nearly 75 years, according to Okhai.
He claimed that despite the size of Bollywood’s film industry, Europe had long held the trophy for the greatest international picture, preventing India from ever taking home the prize.
“Can we begin by winning top film festivals, where we can compete on the global stage with the best, can we focus solely on winning our own top film festivals?
“The world, like our colleagues in music, accepted and applauded our stars before the Grammys, quality comes first, followed by recognition.
“With the kind of production that has been coming out of the business in recent times, we are well on our way.
“The Oscars will find us at the right time if we focus more on the work that we do, 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,” he said.
