Actress Stephanie Linus has been named new chairman of the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) for the Best International Feature Film (IFF) category of the Oscars.
The announcement was made on Tuesday hours after QEDNG exclusively reported that the committee was meeting to announce its new leader.
NOSC founder Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi had on Monday announced that she was stepping down as chairman of the committee.
The statement announcing Mrs Linus as chairman added that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) which organises the Oscars has approved the formation of a restructured 14-member NOSC team and following Mrs Anyaene-Abonyi’s exit.
Further confirming QEDNG’s earlier report, the statement announcing Stephanie Linus as new chairman listed actresses Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Meg Otanwa and film director John Njamah as returning members of the NOSC.
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Other returning members are theatre practitioner Yibo Koko, filmmaker Izu Ojukwu and cinematographer Adetokunbo Adebanwo.
Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) president Victor Okhai and producer Ngozi Okafor also return although they were not on the committee last year.
New members of the NOSC are managing director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, former DGN president Andy Amenechi, film producer Emem Isong, director Dimeji Ajibola and writer Jude Idada.
The NOSC added in its statement that the list of new members “brings people of diverse creative portfolios into the dynamics of selecting the best film from Nigeria.”
The NOSC was rocked by an internal crisis last year following a decision not to submit a film for the Oscars.
Femi Adebayo’s King of Thieves, Biyi Bandele’s Eleshin Oba: The King’s Horseman and Kunle Afolayan’s Anikulapo were shortlisted for selection for the Oscars but the committee ruled that they were not eligible for submission.
The ensuing crisis led to the resignation of some members of the committee and the leak of a video of one of the committee’s meetings.
Among those who resigned their membership during the crisis were filmmakers Kenneth Gyang, Mildred Okwo, Ego Boyo and journalist Shaibu Husseini.
Mahmood Ali-Balogun who served as vice chairman of the committee told QEDNG in a phone conversation that “I am not part of NOSC anymore.”
