Hollywood is gearing up for the 95th Academy Awards tonight (Monday morning in Kenya) at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Every year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invites various countries to make their submissions specifically for the award for best international feature film.
Eight African countries, including first-timers Uganda with Morris Mugisha’s film Tembele, successfully made submissions ahead of the Academy Awards. None of the submissions from the continent made it to the final list.
To be considered for the Best International Feature category, films need to satisfy eligibility criteria, key among them being that more than half the film must be in a language other than English. The film must also have a run of seven days in theatres.
Last year, the Kenya Film Commission announced that out of the four films it was considering, a team of nine members had settled on TeraStorm, which was billed as an “African superhero film”.
At the time, not much was known about it, except that it was an animation, made by a digital company called Afrikana Digital, and was released in July 2022.
Written and directed by Andrew Kaggia, TeraStorm was the first animated film ever presented for an Oscars nomination by an African country. In addition, it was produced entirely in Kenya, which marks a huge leap forward for the Kenyan animation industry on the world stage.
In December, Kaggia revealed to the Sunday Nation that his film did not make the final stage for the Oscars. “I was informed that TeraStorm didn’t make the final stage for the Oscars, unfortunately. But it has been getting some good interest internationally and has won another award in the US and will be featured in several international films,” said Kaggia.
Judy Kibinge is a Kenyan filmmaker, writer, producer and founder of the East African Documentary Film Fund. She was also handpicked by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (the organisation behind the Oscars) to join the ranks of voting members. Ms Kibinge says that for the local industry to grow and produce entries that can be considered for international awards like the Oscars, it needs funds, expertise and networking.
“We enter the best international feature, which is the only category that Kenyan films go into. And why do we enter the best international feature? Because they are submitted by the country. So, by doing that, we skip over a lot of the rules that the other categories have to go through to be nominated. To go for the Best International Feature, you just need your country to have a committee that submits it.
And so you are immediately up against over a hundred other films from across the world. You are up against all these countries that traditionally spend millions of dollars (on films) and get millions of dollars (in grants) from their governments their own cultural grants to spend on films,” she said.
She added that even though money does not necessarily translate to a good film, it makes a big difference and there is a need for more investment in Kenya. Ms Kibinge also explained that most of the 10,000 members of the Academy who vote are white Americans. Those with Kenyan roots could be “maybe six or so”— including Lupita Nyong’o, Tony Kamal and herself. The members are split into different branches: actors, directors, writers, editors, producers, documentaries, among others.
With the lingering impact of Covid-19, the Academy allowed films that had planned to have a theatrical release but were made available via a streaming or on-demand service to still qualify for consideration.
Africa’s much-vaunted film and TV production boom has yet to feed into the Oscars’ best international feature film category, with only 10 of the continent’s 54 nations entering the race in 2021 — down from a record 12 participants in 2020, while in 2022, only eight films were submitted.
“I’m sure the majority of the world doesn’t even know we make movies,” said Likarion Wainaina, the 35-year-old writer-director of Supa Modo, one of Kenya’s most acclaimed films which was also submitted for the Oscars but did not make the cut.
Nairobi Half Life, directed by David “Tosh” Gitonga, was submitted in 2012 but failed to make the cut. It took the country five to years to submit another film. In 2018, Kenya sent Kati Kati for consideration which also failed on the way.
Kati Kati was a debut feature film by Kenyan filmmaker Mbithi Masya that explores the intrigues of the afterlife.
Lower-income countries rarely crack the list of top-five nominees, let alone win the Oscars. Since the category was introduced in 1956, only 10 films from Africa have been nominated, representing just five countries.
Only three African entries have ever won: Z from Algeria (1969), Black and White in Color from Ivory Coast (1976) and South Africa’s Tsotsi (2005). Two of those Oscar winners were directed by Europeans and the third by a white South African.
This year, the Oscars nominations for the international category went to Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Argentina.
Africa had submitted Our Brothers from three-time Oscar nominee Rachid Bouchareb from Algeria. Cameroon went with The Planter’s Plantation which is a musical drama film directed by Dingha Young Eystein and featuring Nigerian superstar Nkem Owoh in a supporting role.
The Blue Caftan from Morocco was expected to go the farthest after debuting at the Cannes Film Festival. Flirting with a topic still considered taboo in many conservative societies, the film queries the limits of honour and hidden obsessions while weighing them against the primal need for freedom and sexual liberation.
Senegal had Xalé from veteran director Moussa Sène Absa. The film is in fine form with this rich, colourful saga that is centred on a 15-year-old student and her twin brother, who dream of a better life in Europe.
Tug of War from Tanzania is a ravishing period romance set against the backdrop of colonial-era Zanzibar in the 1950s.
It is an adaptation of the eponymous award-winning novel written by Shafi Adam Shafi, one of the leading lights of Swahili literature.
Tunisia, on the other hand, had Under the Fig Trees which is a radiant feature-length debut by French-Tunisian filmmaker Erige Sehiri.
Of course the international film category isn’t the only place where other nations are recognised. Films and individuals from other countries have been nominated in many categories in the past and this year as well.
With nominees like Everything Everywhere All at Once and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, this year’s Academy awards will highlight the stellar work of diverse casts, directors and crews.
While the Golden Globes brought several notable nominations and wins for Black performers in television and film, this year’s Oscar nominations look very different.
Past Oscar winner and star Davis did not earn a nomination for her depiction of a woman warrior in 19th century West Africa, protecting the kingdom of Dahomey, in The Woman King.
Davis, who has become a fixture of awards seasons, did earn a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, as well as a Screen Actors Guild nomination.
Till, starring Deadwyler as Mamie Till-Mobley, chronicles the 14-year-old’s mother during her quest for justice after her child was brutally murdered. The film earned no Academy Award nominations.
No women were nominated in the directing category, shutting out a handful of Black women who helmed films this year.
