Oscars 2027: Dear Ajayi to represent Nigeria in Best International Feature Film

• Nigeria has selected Dear Ajayi as its official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2027 Oscars.

• NOSC Chairperson Stephanie Linus congratulated the filmmakers behind the film and wished them success in the next stage of the Oscars process.

• The selection places Dear Ajayi in contention for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ahead of the 99th Academy Awards.

The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC), the body responsible for choosing the country’s submission to the Academy Awards, announced the selection after reviewing eligible entries submitted for consideration.

Dear Ajayi will now represent Nigeria in the International Feature Film category as it enters the next stage of the Oscars process.

The film’s selection puts it in contention for a place among the international productions that will be considered by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ahead of the 99th Oscars.

Reacting to the selection, NOSC Chairperson Stephanie Linus congratulated the filmmakers and expressed optimism about the film’s journey through the Academy’s selection process.

“We congratulate the filmmakers behind Dear Ajayi on their selection,” she said.

“We look forward to presenting the film for the Academy’s consideration and wish the team every success in the next stage of the process.”

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Directed, written, and produced by Damilola Orimogunje, Dear Ajayi is a period drama set in southwestern Nigeria in the 1990s.

The film follows two sisters, Ade and Titi Ajayi, who lead very different lives but are forced to confront their strained relationship when their ailing mother comes to live with them. As the sisters deal with grief, faith, ambition and family expectations, old resentments resurface and force them to reconsider the choices that have shaped their lives.

Nigeria’s official submission does not automatically guarantee a nomination. The film will first undergo consideration by the Academy before the final nominees for the Best International Feature Film category are announced.

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, recognise outstanding achievements in filmmaking and attract entries from film industries across the world.

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