Entertainment
Nigeria’s Oscars committee seeks entries for 97th Academy Awards
The Nigerian Official Selection Committee for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has called on filmmakers in the country to submit their feature films for consideration in the International Feature Film category of the 97th annual Academy Awards, fondly called the Oscars.
The NOSC, accredited by AMPAS, is responsible for choosing Nigeria’s official entry for the IFF award.
In a statement sent to PUNCH Online on Monday, the IFF stated that the submission portal will go live on August 1, 2024, and will remain open until August 30, 2024.
The IFF award is a dedicated category for feature-length motion pictures produced outside the United States, and which contains 50 per cent or more of dialogue in a language or languages other than English.
The academy stipulates that submitted films must meet specific criteria, including providing accurate, legible English subtitles, adherence to particular shooting formats, and evidence of theatrical release.
Meanwhile, the NOSC also announced the addition of new members into its fold, including the Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation, Ali Nuhu; producer and Director, Blessing Egbe; an actress, Ijeoma Agu; co-founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of Filmhouse Cinemas, Kene Okwuosa; and a journalist, author, and film critic, Victor Akande.
The returning members of the committee include actress and filmmaker Stephanie Linus, who leads the team; President of the Directors’ Guild of Nigeria, Victor Okhai; actress, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde; former DGN President, Andy Amenechi; theatre practitioner, Yibo Koko; writer and director, Izu Ojukwu; filmmaker, Emem Isong; director, Dimeji Ajibola; writer/director, Jude Idada; filmmaker, John Njamah; and actress, Meg Otanwa.
Linus stated that the new members were from diverse creative backgrounds, and would invariably enhance the process of selecting the best film from Nigeria.
The NOSC was constituted in 2012 by filmmaker, Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi, and she served as the chairperson until 2023 when she handed over to Linus.
The committee submitted the first film for the global awards in 2019. Titled ‘Lionheart’, the film, which was directed by popular actress and filmmaker, Genevieve Nnaji, was eventually disqualified on account of not meeting the requirement of 50 per cent non-English dialogue.
In 2021, the movie titled, ‘Milkmaid’ became the first Nigerian film to be in the reckoning for the IFF category. However, it did not make the final cut for that year’s edition.
In 2023, the committee submitted the film, ‘Mami Wata’, which was directed by CJ Obasi, for the IFF category, but it did not make the eventual list of nominees.
The 97th Oscars ceremony is set for March 2, 2025, broadcasting live from the Dolby Theatre in Ovation Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.
Entertainment
Seaking, TikToker charged with treason for insulting Tinubu, gets bail
A magistrate’s court in Ogba, Lagos has granted N500,000 bail to the TikToker Seaking with two sureties in like amount.
The bail comes after Seaking, born Olumide Ogunsanwo, was arrested on Saturday.
Seaking recently shared a video on social media wherein he appeared to have insulted President Bola Tinubu, Babajide-Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor; and Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector general of police.
During sitting on Monday, the court ruled that one of the sureties must be a family member, and both must reside in Lagos and be gainfully employed.
Inibehe Effiong, SeaKing’s lawyer, had revealed that the police initially denied him access to the detainee at the state police command in Ikeja.
https://twitter.com/InibeheEffiong/status/1871227032790864076?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1871227032790864076%7Ctwgr%5E34a8f709f4733d748f4dc2ab4276cb07fbac408f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flifestyle.thecable.ng%2Fseaking-tiktoker-charged-with-treason-for-insulting-tinubu-gets-bail%2F
The lawyer said he, a colleague, and Seaking’s wife — who brought their six-month-old baby — were barred from seeing SeaKing.
He said while waiting to meet with the police commissioner, Seaking was “discreetly transferred to the Ogba magistrate’s court for remand proceedings”.
Effiong said his legal team intercepted the move and opposed the police’s application to remand the TikToker for 30 days, citing insufficient grounds for such detention.
He said the TikToker was charged with treason, cyberstalking, and conduct likely to provoke a breach of peace.
“Thankfully, we intercepted the information and proceeded immediately to the court premises where we met Seaking with the police officers,” he wrote on X.
“To our consternation, the Nigeria Police filed a remand application and annexed a charge to it wherein they’re accusing him of treason, cyberstalking, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and provoking breach of peace.
“They are claiming that he called on Nigerian Youths to “wage war” against the police. We opposed the application for remand on multiple grounds, while urging the court to refuse the application to remand him for 30 days pending DPP advice.
“We applied that he should be admitted to bail in line with the provisions of Section 264 (5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State. The court considered arguments from both sides and upheld our position, and held that the police failed to show probable cause why he should be remanded for 30 days.
“The Learned Magistrate accordingly admitted Seaking to bail on liberal terms; specifically in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum, one of the sureties should be his family member and the sureties should be resident in Lagos State and be gainfully employed.”
The case has been adjourned to January 16, 2025, for advice from the directorate of public prosecutions (DPP).
Entertainment
Court orders IGP to arraign or release Speed Darlington within 48 hours
A federal high court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, to release the detained singer Speed Darlington within 48 hours.
According to NAN, Musa Liman, the judge, gave the order in a ruling on an ex-parte motion moved by David Ihuoma, the singer’s counsel.
Liman ordered the police chief to charge Darlington to court or release him on bail unconditionally within 48 hours.
The judge adjourned the matter until January 6 for the hearing of the substantive case.
The 39-year-old rapper was arrested on November 27 while performing at a show in Owerri, Imo state.
Deji Adeyanju, a human rights lawyer, had alleged that Burna Boy, the Afrofusion star, was responsible for the rapper’s arrest.
Darlington had taunted Burna Boy over his affiliation with the embattled US rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ who is facing multiple charges for sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
He asked Burna Boy to explain how he won the Grammy award for his album ‘Twice As Tall’ — a project executive produced by Diddy. He claimed there was a sexual relationship between the duo.
In the ex-parte motion dated and filed on December 13 by his lawyers led by Adeyanju, Egbetokun was the sole respondent.
The lawyers sought “an order directing the applicant’s release from the detention facility of the Force Intelligence Bureau at the Force Headquarters or any other facility where he is being kept by the respondent, pending the determination of the substantive originating motion on notice”.
Stan Alieke, another legal representative of Darlington, on Monday, also revealed that the rapper had been granted bail.
Entertainment
I had health scare during pregnancy, says Wizkid’s partner Jada P
Jada Pollock, manager and baby mama to Wizkid, says she suffered a health scare during the first three months of her ongoing pregnancy.
In a post via X on Monday, Jada, who is pregnant with her third child with the singer, shared a photo showing her baby bump.
She disclosed that she had to undergo an appendectomy just three months into her pregnancy.
The talent manager described the situation as the most terrifying experience of her life.
Jada also expressed gratitude for the safety of both herself and her unborn child after the surgery.
“At the beginning of the year, I faced the biggest fright of my life,” she wrote.
“Three months into my pregnancy, I was rushed to the hospital to have my appendix removed. Against all odds, both my baby and I made it through safely.
“Life is too short to be anything but grateful.”
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