Entertainment: Genevieve Nnaji, Producer of the Nigerian Movie Lionheart, replies as the Academy Disqualifies the Movie ‘Lionheart’ from Oscar entry

According to The Wrap, The Academy has disqualified the Nigerian movie, Lionheart from Oscar Entry because Nigeria submitted a film mostly in English to the category formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film.

The Nigerian movie Lionheart is currently on Netflix. The movie is about a lady who tries to keep her father’s company buoyant in the male-dominated transportation business.

The Wrap

Academy Disqualifies Nigeria’s Oscar Entry ‘Lionheart’

Ava DuVernay

@TheAcademy

, You disqualified Nigeria’s first-ever submission for Best International Feature because its in English. But English is the official language of Nigeria. Are you barring this country from ever competing for an Oscar in its official language?

Genevieve Nnaji MFR

1/1 1/2 Thank you so much

@ava

. I am the director of Lionheart. This movie represents the way we speak as Nigerians. This includes English which acts as a bridge between the 500+ languages spoken in our country; thereby making us #OneNigeria.

@TheAcademy

2/2 It’s no different to how French connects communities in former French colonies. We did not choose who colonized us. As ever, this film and many like it, is proudly Nigerian.

@TheAcademy