Cameroon’s submission to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards, more often known as “The Oscars,” in 2023 will be “The Planters Plantation,” starring Nollywood’s Nkem Owoh. The Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee (NOSC) has been in turmoil, and this development comes as the problem worsens.

This Nollywood actress played the lead role in Planter’s Plantation, Cameroon’s sixth Oscar entry.

Cameroon submitted its first picture to the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards in 1980. Our Daughter was the name of the movie.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of the United States of America presents the International Foreign Language Film (IFF) Award yearly to a feature-length film that was made outside the United States and has dialogue in a language other than English.

Before the end of this month, the Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee (NOSC) announced that no Nigerian film meets the requirements to be nominated in the International Feature Film category for the 2023 Academy Awards. This announcement has been made for the last two years in a row.

Nigeria’s 2020 Oscar submission, “The Milkmaid,” was the country’s last. Three popular films, “Anklápó” by KunleAfolayan, “Elesin Oba: The King’s Horseman” by Mo Abudu, and “King of Thieves” by Femi Adebayo, were seen and discussed by the Committee before this choice was made.

The Board of the Cameroonian Film Industry has recommended Eystein Young’s “The Planter’s Plantation” as a starting point for the discussion.

It was in Cameroon that the 1960s-set drama “The Planters Plantation” was shot. After the country declares its freedom, Alexander David Silverstone Powers character, James Whitaker, offers Mr. Planter his land (NkemOwoh).

The dramatic musical is a joint production of Extrafix Media, BGC Melody Story, and Inn Amore Pictures.

Along with Owoh, “The Planters Plantation” has an all-star cast of Cameroonian actors and actresses. Loic Sumfor, Stephanie Tum, and Syriette Che are among them, while Nimo Loveline plays Enanga.

Mr. Young is recognized as the film’s co-producer, director, and writer. The film’s executive producers are credited as Don Julio Bats, Irene Nangi, and QuinnyIjang.

In recent months, the film has been honoured with three awards at the Ecran Noir Festival, including the festival’s highest prize, the EcranD’or. In the last 26 years, no Cameroonian film has been honoured in this way.

The film won both the “Best Cameroon Actress” and “Best Cameroon/Overall Film” awards.

Not only did it get a slew of nominations at the London Film Critics’ Circle Awards, but it also competed at the Wales Film Festival and the prestigious African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) (2022).

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