The Nigeria-Germany family drama is in the running for the international feature category, but selection is not a nomination.
Nigeria has chosen Dear Ajayi as its official entry in the International Feature Film category, the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) announced. Following a review of entries from its month-long submission window, which ran between 1 and 31 August, the committee reached its verdict. The film is directed, written and produced by Damilola Orimogunje.
Stephanie Linus, who heads the NOSC, offered congratulations to the filmmakers and said the panel looked forward to putting the movie before the Academy for review.
Co-produced by Nigeria and Germany, Dear Ajayi unfolds in 1990s southwestern Nigeria. Ade and Titi Ajayi are estranged sisters who have been compelled to share a home and look after their paralysed mother. Ade is a devout Christian and the family's breadwinner. Titi is an aspiring singer whose independent spirit challenges the expectations placed on her.
The cast is led by actors Bimbo Akintola and Tosin Adeyemi, with Uzoamaka Power and Baaj Adebule also starring. The film mixes Yoruba, English and Igbo, and explores family, grief, faith, ambition and unresolved conflict.
The film premiered at Venice, where it won the Premio Enrico Fulchignoni and the Premio Bisato d'Oro for Best Cast and Performances. Its festival run then continued across Rio and El Gouna. It is scheduled to be on screen from 30 October at Film Africa.
Selection does not mean a nomination. The Academy will review whether the film qualifies, placing it next to entries from other nations. First-round voting runs from 7 to 11 December, and the 15-film shortlist is due on 15 December. The final five nominees are announced on 21 January 2027, and the ceremony is set for 14 March 2027 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Dear Ajayi is one of 100 country submissions announced so far. Three more films have qualified through festival awards, and not all 103 have been vetted by the Academy.
No Nigerian film has yet been shortlisted, nominated or won in the category. Nigeria's first entry, Lionheart, was disqualified from the 2020 awards over the amount of English dialogue.
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