Mami Wata by C.J Obasi, Nigeria’s submission for the 96th Academy Award, did not make the shortlist.
The Oscars announced the shortlists for the 96th Academy Awards in various categories on Thursday.
Mami Wata, an ambitious black and white film, had a long journey to the Oscars.
To begin, the film is told in Nigerian pidgin. This is a linguistic code rather than a language in and of itself. To clear its path to submission, the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) had to amend its rules to include pidgin as an indigenous Nigerian language.
The committee announced Obasi’s Mami Wata as the country’s contender for the International Feature Film (IFF) category of the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday, October 15.
The film also had to compete against strong competitors with large marketing budgets. France’s official submission for the same category, for example, had been advertised on almost every episode of the New York Times hit podcast, The Daily.
However, two submissions from African countries made the list: Morocco’s The Mother of All Lies and Tunisia’s Four Daughters.
Mami Wata ascended to critical acclaim for its avant-garde fill and heavy themes.
Its nomination ended Nigeria’s two-year streak of not being nominated for an Oscar.
However, the film has received another international nomination for the Spirit Awards in the international film category. It also received a cinematic release date of January 11, 2024 in Germany and Austria.
