Entertainment
Oscars 2020 Disqualifies Genevieve Nnaji’s Film ‘Lionheart’, Says It Has ‘Too Much English’
The 2018 film which was directed by Nollywood icon, Genevieve Nnaji, ‘Lionheart’, has been disqualified by the Academy from the 2020 Oscars
‘Lionheart’ was Genevieve’s directorial debut and she also starred in the film alongside popular Nollywood names like Nkem Owoh, Pete Edochie, Onyeka Onwenu, Kanayo O. Kanayo and Nigerian rapper Phyno.
It was revealed in October that the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee (NOSC) had picked the movie as Nigeria’s submission to the Best International Feature Film category of the 2020 Oscars.
It was the first film ever submitted to the Oscars by Nigeria.
The Academy said the film has too much English
The Academy say Genevieve Nnaji’s ‘Lionheart’ had too much English
All hopes of making it to the final nominees have however been dashed as the Academy disqualified the movie from the Best International Feature Film category.
As first reported by The Wrap, the Academy announced the disqualification of ‘Lionheart’ to voters in the category in an email on Monday, November 4, 2019.
It has been revealed that ‘Lionheart’ was not vetted by the Academy’s International Feature Film Award Executive Committee when the NOSC first picked the film.
After a recent viewing, the Academy deemed the film to have too much much English dialogue and disqualified it from the Best International Feature Film category which until this year was known as Best Foreign Language Film.
‘Lionheart’ is partially in the Igbo language of Nigeria but it is mostly in English.
Genevieve reacts
Genevieve was not pleased with the disqualification and took to Twitter to express her feeling of disapproval.
“I am the director of Lionheart. This movie represents the way we speak as Nigerians,” she said in a series of tweets.
“This includes English which acts as a bridge between the 500+ languages spoken in our country; thereby making us #OneNigeria.
Entertainment
EFCC Has Most Corrupt, Wicked People in Nigeria, Bobrisky Lashes Out at Anti-graft Agency
Nigerian controversial cross-dresser, Idris Okuneye aka Bobrisky, has taken to his social media account to lash out at officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The self-exiled transvestite, while reacting to EFCC’s plea to be kind and show sympathy for an official who was shot during a raid in Anambra State, alleged that the anti-graft agency has the most corrupt and wicked people in Nigeria.
Bobrisky, who criticised the EFCC for its hypocrisy, said he does not like reading about the anti-graft agency and feels like throwing up each time he does.
“I just don’t like reading anything about EFCC online, cus I feel like I want to throw up each time I read about them.
“You are asking the public to be human about the loss of one of your staff but you are the most wicked people in Nigeria,” Bob wrote on his official Instagram page.
He also recalled how his home was ransacked and he was manhandled by officials of the EFCC when he was accused of money laundering and naira mutilation.
“When I was in your custody, you took me to my house and searched my house.
‘‘When I asked you guys why, you claimed I’m into money laundering, you want to check if I’m not printing money in my house, Police are better than you all one million times…” Bobriksy added.
Nollywood actor, Saidi Balogun has reunited with his estranged wife, Faithia Williams at the graduation ceremony of their son, Khalid Ayomide Balogun.
The couple, both Nollywood actors, who called it quits with their marriage a few years ago, had cause to come together, to celebrate their son’s achievement as he graduates from the University of Lagos with a first-class honours.
Trending videos and photos captured the couple in jolly mood posing for photographs and exchanging pleasantries with well wishers and friends.
Saidi and Faithia had a bitter separation, which prompted Saidi to caution his ex-wife to desist from using his name, Balogun.
African Voices Changemakers, the popular CNN International magazine programme will this weekend host one of Hollywood’s most celebrated African actors, Djimon Gaston Hounsou. The programme is sponsored by digital solutions provider, Globacom.
The star actor who was born in Benin Republic in April 1960, will be chatting with programme anchor, Larry Madowo on his inspiring journey and how he links the Black diaspora with its roots through the Djimon Hounsou Foundation which he launched in New York in 2019.
Hounsou became a thespian when he acted in the 1990 film titled Without You, I’m Nothing from which he has gained recognition for his outstanding roles in several other films including Amistad (1997); Gladiator (2000) and a French film titled Forces speciales (2011) among other great works. His talents have earned him the Golden Globe Award as Best Actor in Drama and the NAACP Image Award both in 1998 and for his role in Amistad. He also got the Academy Awards as Best Supporting Actor in 2004 as well as an Outstanding Performance Award for Blood Diamond in 2007.
His foundation has been at the forefront of empowering Africans through his philanthropic initiatives like Run Richmond 16.19. He has successfully bridged history, culture, and community in a mission to unite the African diaspora and honour African heritage.
African Voices Changemakers will be broadcast on Saturday at 8.30a.m. and will be repeated same day at noon. Further repeats will be broadcast on Sunday at 4.30a.m. and 7p.m.; Monday 4a.m. Repeat editions will come up in the same broadcast schedule next week from Saturday.
