Nigeria has selected Damilola Orimogunje’s Dear Ajayi as its official submission for the International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, marking the country’s return to the Oscars selection process after it did not submit a film for the previous edition, Premium Times reported. The Nigerian Official Selection Committee announced the decision after reviewing entries submitted during its August 1 to 31 submission window. The 2027 Oscars are scheduled to take place on March 14, 2027, in Los Angeles.
Set in southwestern Nigeria in the 1990s, Dear Ajayi is a family drama centred on two estranged sisters, Ade and Titi Ajayi, who are brought back together as they care for their paralysed mother following the death of their father. Written and directed by Orimogunje, the Nigeria Germany co production stars Bimbo Akintola, Tosin Adeyemi and Lanre Hassan, with the story exploring family, grief, faith, conflicting ambitions, forgiveness and reconciliation. The film features Yoruba, English and Igbo dialogue and previously screened in competition at Giornate degli Autori, an independent programme held alongside the Venice International Film Festival.
The selection puts Dear Ajayi in contention for Academy consideration, but it does not yet constitute an Oscar nomination. The Academy will assess the submitted films before preliminary voting determines the International Feature Film shortlist, which will contain 15 titles, followed by the selection of five nominees. The shortlist is scheduled for December 15, 2026, with nominations announced on January 21, 2027. For Nigerian cinema, the submission represents another opportunity to strengthen the country’s presence on the global awards circuit after Mai Martaba became Nigeria’s previous official entry for the 97th Academy Awards in 2024.
