A breathtaking masterpiece of storytelling in motion picture.
Friday, December 15, 2023
"Breath of Life" is an Unforgettable Journey of Discovery of the Power of Faith, Love and Triumph of the Human Spirit
Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Breaking News: MAMI WATA Nominated for Film Independent Spirit Awards for the Best International Film
"MAMI WATA", a 2023 West African mythological fantasy film shot in black-and-white written and directed by Obasi, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize in the World Dramatic Competition for the cinematography.
The film has won several awards, including three awards at the FESPACO - Prix de la Critique Paulin S. Vieyra (African Critics Award), Meilleure Image (Cinematography Award) and Meilleur Décor (Set Design Award). It was acquired by Dekanalog for North American distribution.
It is currently the Nigerian film with the widest Internatonal theatrical release in the history of Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.
"MAMI WATA" is Nigeria's entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations 2024
BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM (Award given to the director)
Anatomy of a Fall
France
Director: Justine Triet
Godland
Denmark/Iceland
Director: Hlynur Pálmason
Mami Wata
Nigeria
Director: C.J. ‘Fiery’ Obasi
Tótem
Mexico
Director: Lila Avilés
The Zone of Interest
United Kingdom, Poland, USA
Director: Jonathan Glazer
- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
The first book series on Nollywood and Nigerian film industry.
#mamiwata
#fieryobasi
#nollywood
#filmindependentspiritawards
#spiritawards2024
#nominations
#academyawards
#oscars
#nigeria
#sundance
#sundancefilmfestival
#cinrematography
#awards
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
The Academy Awards, Nollywood and the Submission of Nigeria's Entry for the Best International Feature Film
The Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is not responsible for the selections of the members of the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the International Feature Film (IFF) category of the annual Academy Awards (Oscars).
The brouhaha over the lack of honesty and transparency in the rejection of any of the two acclaimed Nigerian films as the country’s official submission for the IFF Award last year caused the resignation of Mildred Okwo and Shaibu Husseini from the selection committee and I don't know if they have returned. But there should be a defined criteria for the membership of the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) based on international professional achievements and accomplishments in filmmaking and being on the jury of highly rated international film festivals and awards. So, some members of the NOSC are not qualified to be members of the committee. And I mean every word in my statement.
I was dragged into the mess of the NOSC last year that caused the local and international embarrassment of Nollywood, because after my investigation I discovered that Nigeria should have submitted an entry for the International Feature Film (IFF) category of the last Oscars. But personal antagonisms and not professional criticisms caused the rejection of the two films from which one should have been submitted.
The two major contenders for the submission as Nigeria's entry were "Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman" , Yoruba-language historical drama film directed by Biyi Bandele based on Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka's "Death and the King's Horseman", a stage play he wrote while in Cambridge and "Aníkúlápó", a Yoruba epic fantasy film by Kunle Afolayan. Both of them were good enough; therefore one of them should have been submitted for the International Feature Film (IFF) category of the annual Academy Awards (Oscars). But the antagonism between those who wanted "Aníkúlápó" and those who wanted "Elesin Oba, The King's Horseman" resulted in the rejection of the films.
Selfish opportunism has done more harm than good to professionalism in Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry.
To me, any Nigerian film that fails to be accepted for the Official Selections of any of the following annual international film festivals: Sundance Film Festival; Berlin International Film Festival: Cannes Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) should not be in the consideration for the submission by the NOSC.
The Publisher/Editor,
NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series,
Nigeria Daily
Nigerians Report Online on Blogger and Facebook
New Nigeria on Pinterest
Vuulr Program Partner,
Cinewav affiliate partner
#Oscars
#Academyawards
#BestInternationalFeatureFilm
#OfficialSelections
#nominations
#nominees
#films
#committee
#Nollywood
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
I Can Win the Oscar for The Best Picture
I see a Big Picture of myself winning the Oscar for the Best Picture, widely considered as the most prestigious honor of the annual Academy Awards of AMPAS.
Yes, I can win the Best Picture Oscar with my my first feature.
The original screenplay has been cowritten by me and by the accomplished multiple award winning filmmaker, Dr. Chika Christian Onu, director of "Living in Bondage" 2 and famous for directing "Glamour Girls", in 1994, the first romantic comedy in the history of the phenomenon of Nollywood.
I have shortlisted two cinematographers I believe have the experience and expertise for the cinematography. My preferred director remains classified.
Locations are in Port Harcourt and Bonny Island in Rivers State.
The research for the screenplay took four years, including the time that Dr. Chika Christian Onu came to the Nigeria LNG RA 1 on Bonny Island where I was staying from 2004 to 2008.
I published the screenplay as a book in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
#BestPicture
#Oscars
#academyawards
#nigeria
#experience
#research
#cinematography
https://www.instagram.com/p/CtKE98NtWdr/?igshid=NjZiM2M3MzIxNA==
Friday, June 2, 2023
Tribeca Festival Announces Stephanie Linus, Brendan Fraser, Chance the Rapper as 2023 Jury Members
Tribeca Festival Announces Stephanie Linus, Brendan Fraser, Chance the Rapper as 2023 Jury Members
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Full List of Winners at the 95th Academy Awards
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The Sea Beast
Turning Red
Best Supporting Actor
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway
Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!
Best Supporting Actress
Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau, The Whale
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Documentary Feature
All That Breathes
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Fire of Love
A House Made of Splinters
Navalny – WINNER!
Live-Action Short
An Irish Goodbye – WINNER!
Ivalu
Le Pupille
Night Ride
The Red Suitcase
Best Cinematography
All Quiet on the Western Front – WINNER!
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Elvis
Empire of Light
Tár
Makeup and Hairstyling
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Elvis
The Whale – WINNER!
Costume Design
Babylon
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – WINNER!
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
Mrs Harris Goes to Paris
Best International Film
All Quiet on the Western Front – WINNER!
Argentina, 1985
Close
EO
The Quiet Girl
Best Documentary Short
The Elephant Whisperers – WINNER!
Haulout
How Do You Measure a Year?
The Martha Mitchell Effect
Stranger at the Gate
Best Animated Short
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – WINNER!
The Flying Sailor
Ice Merchants
My Year of Dicks
An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It
Best Production Design
All Quiet on the Western Front – WINNER!
Avatar: The Way of Water
Babylon
Elvis
The Fabelmans
Best Original Score
All Quiet on the Western Front – WINNER!
Babylon
The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Best Visual Effects
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water – WINNER!
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Top Gun: Maverick
Best Original Screenplay
The Banshees of Inisherin
Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!
The Fabelmans
Tár
Triangle of Sadness
Best Adapted Screenplay
All Quiet on the Western Front
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Living
Top Gun: Maverick
Women Talking – WINNER!
Best Sound Editing
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Elvis
Top Gun: Maverick – WINNER!
Best Original Song
Applause, Tell It Like a Woman
Hold My Hand, Top Gun: Maverick
Lift Me Up, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Naatu Naatu, RRR – WINNER!
This Is a Life, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Best Editing
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
Best Director
Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!
Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans
Todd Field, Tár
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness
Best Lead Actor
Austin Butler, Elvis
Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser, The Whale- WINNER!
Paul Mescal, Aftersun
Bill Nighy, Living
Best Lead Actress
Cate Blanchett, Tár
Ana de Armas, Blonde
Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie
Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once – WINNER!
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once- WINNER!
The Fabelmans
Tár
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking
Saturday, January 28, 2023
2023 Oscars Nominations
A new class of Oscar nominees has been unveiled. On Tuesday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, with special hosts Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams, announced nominations for the 95th Oscars. Everything Everywhere All at Once is the year's most-nominated film, with 11 total nominations, including Best Picture, Best Directing, and four acting nominations. All Quiet on the Western Front and The Banshees of Inisherin follow with nine nominations apiece.