How the Oscars Became the Talk of the Town in Nigeria

Majority of Nigerians were clueless about the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), popularly known for the annual Academy Awards or Oscars until the exciting news of the invitations to accomplished Nigerian film director, Femi Odugbemi and famous Nollywood diva, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde to join the Voting Members made headlines in the Nigerian press and became the talk of the town since the announcement on Monday June 25, 2018.

In fact, many of the fans and followers of Nollywood who know about Hollywood did not know that the highly coveted Oscars are the highest honours in the American film industry and also for filmmakers and other practitioners in the film industries worldwide. The recognition of Femi Odugbemi and Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde by AMPAS is a big honour for Nollywood, the phenomenal film industry of Nigeria that has been attracting the global attention of cinephiles, film scholars and others excited by the guerrilla filmmaking styles of the producers and directors of the intriguing home videos of Nigerian comedies and dramas that became the first indie film industry in Africa celebrated as "Africa Magic" by MultiChoice, the South African entertainment company that made Nollywood movies popular in many African countries on their DStv cable TV channels with millions of subscribers.

The recognition of Nollywood by AMPAS means that Nigerian movies can make the nominations for the Oscars.

~By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
Publisher/Editor of the NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima.