It is a season of entries as the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC), Eko International Film Festival, and Lights, Camera, Africa!!! have started preparations for the next edition.
If players in the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood, want to achieve the dream of winning an Oscar, then they must heed the call from the NOSC and send in entries in the Best Foreign Language Film.
The NOSC, set up only recently to screen Nigerian films for the Academy Awards, has been accepting submissions of films of all lengths and genres for its inaugural selection edition since June 16. The deadline for the submissions is July 16.
To be eligible, according to a statement from the committee, the films must be from Nigerian filmmakers living in Nigeria and Diaspora whose films relate to Nigeria. Also, the recording of the original dialogue track as well as the completed picture must be predominantly in a language or languages other than English. Of course, Pidgin English is also considered as a foreign language, but accurate English subtitles are required.
The said film must be first released in Nigeria not earlier than October 1, 2013 and no later than September 30, 2014.
The guidelines for submission state that films that have previously screened publicly in Nigeria, aired on television prior to the selection, are available for purchase on DVD in Nigeria, or are available for continuous online viewing in their entirety are not eligible.
Submissions must be on DVD and must be clearly watermarked with: Preview Copy. Film prints, master tapes, or other originals are not allowed.
Among other guidelines, film-makers must confirm and warrant that they have legal authority to submit the entry, use all music, images, and content in the entry and also allow usage of clips from the film for promotional use on television, radio, in print, and at live festival events.
They can also submit works in progress, but the programming committee will only consider the version submitted; subsequent cuts or replacement copies will only be accepted at the request of the programming committee.
While deadline is July 16, submissions can be made at House 2, Block 101, Plot 8, Furo Ezimora Street, Lekki Residential Scheme, Phase 1, Lagos, Nigeria.
The fifth edition of the Eko International Film Festival, which holds from November 18 to 23 with the theme ‘Nigeria film industry and the media’ is also accepting entries till June 30.
President of the annual festival, Hope Opara, said this year’s focus will be on contributions of the media to the growth of the film industry.
Film submissions must be in one of the seven categories of feature, short, fiction, documentaries, short documentaries, horror, student film and one minute.
The festival will award various categories, with the best film to be awarded the Golden Cowrie Award, and the second the Silver Cowrie Award. Film-makers can find details on the organisers’ website.
In the same vein, the 2014 Lights, Camera, Africa!!! (LCA!!!) Film Festival is accepting entries till July 18.
The Life House, which created the festival in 2011, said the fourth edition will take place from September 25 to October 1 in the city of Lagos, Nigeria, with the theme ‘Legacy’.
As is usually the case, film and general culture enthusiasts will travel from around the world to Lagos for the week-long festival that holds screenings, panel discussions, workshops, visual art and musical showcases. There will also be industry networkin g after-parties culminating in an electric and energising community outdoor screening to be held on Wednesday, October 1.
