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Stephanie Linus, chairperson of the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC), has explained why no Nigerian film will be submitted for the ‘International Feature Film’ category at the 2026 Academy Awards.
The controversy revolves around My Father’s Shadow, directed by Akinola Davies Jr. and Wale Davies. Although the film tells a Nigerian story, it will not represent the country at next year’s Oscars.
Speaking at a panel during the Nigeria Film and Videos Censor Board’s 5th Peace Anyam-Osigwe Nigeria Digital Content Regulation Conference (PAO-NDCRC) held at Muson Centre, Lagos, Linus revealed that the film’s funding came from international sources, which retained control over its official submission.
“The producers of My Father’s Shadow did not initially submit the film to the NOSC for consideration, as they understood the conditions set by their funders,” Linus explained. “It is a Nigerian story, but it is not Nigerian money.”
She noted that the international backers claimed ownership of the film to promote their own industry rather than Nigeria’s. Addressing the confusion surrounding the film’s announcement at the Cannes festival as a Nigerian entry, Linus suggested it might have been an error:
“No, I think maybe it is a mistake (that it was announced at Cannes as a Nigerian movie) because the producers did not know that they were going to announce it as a Nigerian film,” she said.
She further clarified the importance of local funding for eligibility, stating, “So if you want your film to be funded, you cannot come and benefit when you do not provide money to make the film. What if the filmmaker did not make the film? And that is why they did not submit it to the Nigerian Oscar Committee? Because it was not a Nigerian film. So it was not even submitted.”
The NOSC had announced in September that no Nigerian film would be put forward for the upcoming Oscars, a decision that stirred debate within the industry. The situation became clearer in October when My Father’s Shadow was officially selected as the United Kingdom’s submission for the Oscars.
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