Nigeria Oscars submission 2026 halted as NOSC says no film meets global standards, pledges stronger push for future Academy Awards entries

Nigeria Oscars submission 2026 has been ruled out after the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) announced that no film would be submitted for the International Feature Film category at next year’s Academy Awards.

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In a statement on Monday, NOSC Chairperson Stephanie Linus revealed that although six films were received following a call for entries in August, the committee voted by majority on September 26 to make “No Submission.”

Linus explained that while Nigerian cinema continues to show growth in quality and awareness of International Feature Film (IFF) standards, the entries fell short of the creative and technical depth required to compete at the global level.

“While Nigerian films have no doubt shown significant improvement and growing awareness of IFF standards, there is still a deficit in creative and technical intentionality that will improve their competitive potential for global awards,” she stated.

The decision, which has already been communicated to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, marks another year without a Nigerian contender in the category.

Linus expressed regret over the outcome but assured that the NOSC would intensify efforts to support filmmakers in aligning with Oscar benchmarks. “This is why the NOSC will be taking more proactive steps to encourage filmmakers to create with the Oscars in mind,” she said.

She further urged Nigerian filmmakers to study past IFF-nominated and winning films to better understand the category’s expectations and strengthen future submissions.

Also read: Nollywood in 2023: From the Oscars to the closure of NetNaija, a look back at a landmark year for the Nigerian film industry

The International Feature Film category is one of the most prestigious awards at the Oscars. It is reserved for feature-length films produced outside the United States that contain at least 50 per cent non-English dialogue.