Stephanie Linus appointed as new head of Nigeria’s Oscars committee

• Veteran Nollywood actress, Stephanie Linus has been appointed as the head of Nigeria’s Oscar’s committee
• Stephanie was appointed alongside other members of the committee, namely: Omotola Jalede Ekehinde, Mr Andy Emenechi, Izu Ojukwu, among others
• Her appointment came after the founder resigned from her position as the head

Stephanie Linus, a well-known Nollywood actress, has been chosen to head the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC), for the prestigious Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category.

Hours after Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi, the organization’s founder, formally resigned from her position as chair, NOSC announced Stephanie’s nomination.

Anyaene-Abonyi resigned when the Oscars re-approved the NOSC in preparation for the 96th Academy Awards, which will be held in 2024.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, AMPAS, approved the formation of a restructured 14-member NOSC panel following the departure of the former chairperson.

The newly elected members of NOSC include Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC), veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jolade-Ekeinde, Dr. Victor Okhai, President of the Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Mr. Andy Amenechi, theater practitioner Yibo Koko, and writer/director Izu Ojukwu, among others.

In another story, RMD, Kunle Afolayan, 3 other Nigerians join Oscars’ Academy

Famous Nigerian superstar actors, Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), Kunle Afolayan, and Jade Osiberu are among the five Nigerians invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) class of 2023, making them voting Oscars members.

In a blog post, the AMPAS revealed the names of the 398 artists and entertainment executives invited to join the Oscar-dispensing group.

The Academy said the new members were invited based on “professionalism, commitment to representation, inclusion and equity”.

Of the 2023 invitees, 34% belong to an under-represented racial or ethnic community, while 40% identify as women. 52% are also from 50 countries and territories outside the United States.

If all 398 invitees accept membership, it will bring the total number of overall Academy members to 10,817 — up from 10,665 last year — with 9,375 eligible to vote for the next Oscars — due to deaths and retirements among others.

The 96th Oscars ceremony is set to take place on March 10, 2024.