Oscars 2021: ‘The Milkmaid’ makes international feature film eligibility list

Nigeria’s Oscar submission has scaled through one stage of the International Feature Film category selection.

‘The Milkmaid’ was recently listed in the Oscars ‘Eligibility for Consideration’ list, a first-time achievement for Nigeria since we joined the Oscars race in 2019.

Recall Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘Lionheart’ was disqualified at this stage in 2019 for not meeting the language requirement. Nigeria’s disqualification got international attention with the award’s critics insisting that the disqualification was unmerited as English is Nigeria’s official language.

For ‘The Milkmaid’, making the eligibility list solidifies its move to the voting stage. Alongside Nigeria’s qualification is Lesotho’s first-time submission ‘This Is Not A Burial, It’s a Resurrection’, Ivory Coast’s ‘Night of the Kings’, Kenya’s ‘The Letter’ and Egypt’s ‘When We’re Born’. Check out the complete list.

The Academy’s International Feature Film category awards foreign films produced outside the United States with a predominantly non-English dialogue. Any film over 40 minutes and in more than 50% non-English dialogue qualifies.

For the first time in the Academy history, the 93rd Oscars will see all branches invited to vote in the preliminary round of voting, with a minimum viewing requirement to vote in the category. Voting for the shortlist has been confirmed for February 1 to February 5, 2021. The 15 highest vote-getters will be announced on February 9.