*** Committee Chairperson Bows To Oscars’ Directive
*** Academy To Decide If Members That Resigned Will Vote
By Eva Irewole
Baring any last-minute intrigue, the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC) will finally reconven at 9pm Nigerian time on Thursday October 20, 2022 to select the feature film that will represent the country at next year’s Academy Awards.
The 15-member Committee had last month voted not to have any of the three films in contention sent to the Oscars for consideration in the Best International Feature Film category, (formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film).
But spirited efforts by members of the public, leadership of the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) and several members of the NOSC who disagreed with the no-submission verdict had forced the International Feature Film Executive Committee of the Academy to grant an extention of one week for the NOSC to reconvene and revote.
The committee is expected to send its final decision to the Academy by 5pm pacific time on Friday October 21 by the letter of October 14, granting the one week extension.
Although the Chairman of the NOSC, Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi, had written the Academy to seek clarification on the directive to reconstitute and revote, with some publications on Wednesday also insinuating that a revote would not happen, TCN can authoritatively reveal that the revote will indeed be done at 9pm Nigerian time on Thursday October 20.
It was reliably gathered that Anyaene-Abonyi soft-peddaled from her previous stance that the outcome of the voting in September stands, after yet another letter from.the Academy on October 17 categorically stated that the job of the NOSC was to recommend a film and should leave decisions on eligibility and other rules affecting entries to the Academy.
It was learnt that the NOSC chairman on Wednesday finally reached out to other members on the reality of the Academy’s directive “after seeking clarifications” asking to know what day and time they would be available to reconvene and revote as directed.
TCN gathered that out of the three options proposed by her, members finally picked Thursday October 20 at 9pm, the eve of the deadline given by the Academy.
The only thorny issue left, it was learnt, is whether those who formally resigned from the committee in the wake of the agitations earlier this month.
While some members who didn’t initially want a revote said members who resigned had forfeited their rights to return and vote, others argued that the Academy’s letter specifically required “the entire approved” members of the NOSC must reconstitute and vote.
They argued further that if the two members involved had formally withdrawn their resignation letters and had accordingly copied the Academy to express their willingness to return just for the voting exercise, “we have no excuse than to accommodate them.”
The two members involved are star actress and producer, Ego Boyo and journalist/film scholar, Shaibu Husseini.
The third person who resigned, film director Mildred Okwo, is still technically in the committee having only announced on twitter her intension to rescind her membership of the committee from.next year.
Our reporter was, however, reliably informed that the committee has eventually decided to have its Vice- Chairman, Mahmood Ali-Balogun, seek further clarification from the Academy on whether Boyo and Husseini should be allowed to vote.
It’s the specific response of the Academy, if it is received before Thursday’s voting takes place, TCN gathered, that would determine whether it is 13 members or the entire 15 that will vote on Thursday.
What is certain, however, is that ‘no film is eligible’ will not be on the ballot this time around. If a members prefers none of the films, he or she can abstain but the film that has the highest vote will be sent to the Academy as Nigeria’s entry.
The three films in contention are Anikulapo by Kunle Afolayan; Agesinkole (King of Thieves) by Adebayo Tijani and Elesin Oba: The King’s Horseman by the late Biyi Bandele.
In the previous vote, eight members of the NOSC had voted that none of the films was eligible to go to the Oscars. Five members voted for Elesin Oba while the other two films got a vote each.
The 13 members that are certain to vote on Thursday are Anyaene-Abonyi, Ali-Balogun, Stephanie Linus, Keneth Gyang, John Njamah, Meg Otanwa and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde.
Others are Izu Ojukwu, Adetokunbo ‘DJ Tee’ Odubawo, Yibo Koko, Moses Babatope and Bruce Ayonote.
