‘Lion heart’ is the first ever entry for Nigeria.
Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC) had on Wednesday picked Genevieve’s ‘Lionheart’ as the country’s submission to the International Feature Film category of the 2020 Oscars.
The group announced the selection following a statutory vetting and subsequent voting of entries received from Nigerian filmmakers at home and in the diaspora.
Produced by Chinny Onwugbenu, Chichi Nwoko, Genevieve Nnaji, and directed by Genevieve Nnaji, ‘Lionheart’ premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and was acquired on September 7, 2018, as first Netflix original film produced in Nigeria.
Reacting to this, Genevieve on her Instagram page wrote: “The Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee has chosen @lionheartthemovie to represent Nigeria for the 2020 Academy Award for Best International Film!
“This is the first entry ever for Nigeria. It’s an honor to be a part of such a pivotal moment in the history of Nigerian cinema.
“A moment we know will be replicated as our stories continue to resonate with audiences around the world.
“On behalf of the entire LIONHEART team and TEN Productions, we are grateful for this recognition and proud to carry the torch. Thank you all for the love and support thus far.”
Since the inauguration of the NOSC in 2014, this is the first time Nigeria is advancing a film to the Oscar, as previous entries received by the committee did not meet basic criteria.
Every year, each country outside the United States is expected to submit one film as long as it’s not primarily in English.
