‘Mami Wata‘, Nigeria’s official submission for the 2024 Academy Awards — also known as the Oscars — did not make the shortlist for the International Feature Film (IFF) category.
In October, the Nigeria Oscars Official Committee (NOSC) announced ‘Mami Wata’ as its IFF contender for the 96th Academy Awards.
On Thursday, the Oscars announced the shortlist for the IFF category. The Nigerian film, written and directed by C.J. Obasi, however, failed to make the list.
Two African films also made it to the next round; Tunisia’s ‘Four Daughters’ and Morocco’s ‘The Mother of All Lies’.
The fifteen films that advanced to the next round of voting from the category are:
- Armenia, ‘Amerikatsi’
- Bhutan, ‘The Monk and the Gun’
- Denmark, ‘The Promised Land’
- Finland, ‘Fallen Leaves’
- France, ‘The Taste of Things’
- Germany, ‘The Teachers’ Lounge’
- Iceland, ‘Godland’
- Italy, ‘Io Capitano’
- Japan, ‘Perfect Days’
- Mexico, ‘Totem’
- Morocco, ‘The Mother of All Lies’
- Spain, ‘Society of the Snow’
- Tunisia, ‘Four Daughters’
- Ukraine, ’20 Days in Mariupol’
- United Kingdom, ‘The Zone of Interest’
‘Mami Wata’ is a reimagination of the mythology of a titular mermaid deity in West African folklore.
The mythology, among other things, celebrates the status of womanhood.
Shot on a location in the Republic of Benin, ‘Mami Wata’ tells the story of a beach-side community that must interrogate previously held beliefs when a stranger washes up ashore and further threatens its harmony.
The film, which had its theatrical releases in Nigeria and other countries, won the Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023 for its vivid black-and-white cinematography.
The 96th Oscars will take place on March 10, 2024.
Nigeria’s first-ever entry for the Oscars in 2019 was ‘LionHeart’, a 2018 movie produced by Genevieve Nnaji.
‘The Milkmaid’, Nigeria’s official submission for the 93rd Oscars, also did not make the shortlist for the IFF category.
Copyright 2024 TheCable. All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from TheCable.
Follow us on twitter @Thecablestyle