The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) has announced that South Africa won’t have an entry at the 95th Academy Awards taking place on 12 March 2023 in Los Angeles.
In a statement, the film body tasked with picking a South African film to enter for the Oscars – stated that all South African films entering this year failed when it came to properly depicting “marginalised communities”.
After South African films were submitted this year to the NFVF as the country’s possible Oscars entry, the foundation did not choose any in November 2022.
According to media reports, nine films – shown at South African and international film festivals and reaping film festival awards and prizes – were entered through the NFVF as South Africa’s Oscars submissions.
The films included 1960, Jewel, Meet Melusi, Thando, The Fragile King, Time Spent with Cats is Never Wasted, Umbrella Men, Wild is the Wind and Stiekyt.
Lerato Mokopanele, NFVF communications manager, said, “The majority of the South African films submitted for this entry did not meet the stringent Oscars selection criteria for the respective category.
“For those that did meet the set criteria, the independent selection committee decided that these projects did not appropriately represent marginalised communities,” Mokopanele added.
The NFVF said the decision not to enter any South African film for the 95th Oscars “was not made because there is no film good enough in South Africa”. For films that met the entry criteria, “the independent selection committee decided that these projects did not appropriately represent marginalised communities”.
“The NFVF, as an agency mandated to provide the equitable growth of the industry, has historically released various calls that allow for an eclectic array of stories to be told – this is evident through all the projects we have approved for funding as showcased on our website.”
However, South African filmmakers are accusing the NFVF of censorship. They are angry over the lack of transparency and communication about its decision not to have South Africa represented at the Oscars.
