The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) has announced it will not submit a film for consideration in the 2026 Academy Awards’ International Feature Film (IFF) category.
Following its August call for entries, the Committee received six submissions. However, during its deliberations on 26 September, a majority vote favoured “No Submission,” bringing the process to a close.
NOSC Chairperson Stephanie Linus has formally communicated the decision to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). She expressed regret that no Nigerian film was deemed suitable for the category this year.
“While Nigerian films have undoubtedly 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. This is why the NOSC will be taking more proactive steps to encourage filmmakers to create with the Oscars in mind,” Linus stated.
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She encouraged Nigerian filmmakers to study previous IFF-nominated works to deepen their understanding of the category’s expectations and strengthen future submissions.
The International Feature Film award is presented annually by the Academy to a feature-length motion picture produced outside the United States with at least 50 per cent non-English dialogue.
The 2026 Oscars holds on 15 March 2026, in Los Angeles, US.
