Oscars 2027: Damilola Orimogunje’s ‘Dear Ajayi’ emerges Nigeria’s official entry

Nigerian cinema has secured a place in the race for the 2027 Academy Awards after Dear Ajayi, a family drama written and directed by Damilola Orimogunje, was selected as Nigeria’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category.

The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC), the body responsible for selecting the country’s entry, announced the decision after reviewing films submitted during its call for entries held from August 1 to 31, 2026.

The selection puts Dear Ajayi in contention for consideration at the 99th Academy Awards, scheduled to hold on March 14, 2027, in Los Angeles, United States. However, Nigeria’s selection does not automatically guarantee the film an Oscar nomination, as it must advance through the Academy’s eligibility and voting process.

Produced by Orimogunje, the film is a Nigeria-Germany co-production set in southwestern Nigeria in the 1990s. It tells the story of two estranged sisters, Ade and Titi Ajayi, who are forced to live together while caring for their paralysed mother.

Ade, a devout Christian and the family’s breadwinner, struggles to understand Titi, an aspiring singer whose independent spirit conflicts with family expectations. Their reunion brings unresolved tensions to the surface, forcing both women to confront past grievances, grief and their differing ambitions.

The film explores themes of family responsibility, faith, sacrifice, forgiveness and reconciliation, using Yoruba, English and Igbo dialogue.

The cast includes Bimbo Akintola as Ade, Tosin Adeyemi as Titi and Lanre Hassan as their mother. Other actors featured in the production include William Benson, Antar Laniyan, Uzoamaka Power, Michelle Dede and Chioma Omeruah, popularly known as Chigul.

Dear Ajayi previously featured in the competition section of Giornate degli Autori, an independent film programme held alongside the Venice International Film Festival in Italy. The film also won the programme’s Enrico Fulchignoni Prize and the Bisato d’Oro award for its cast and performances, according to reports.

Nigeria’s selection of Dear Ajayi marks the country’s return to the International Feature Film category after it did not submit an entry for the 98th Academy Awards.

The film will now proceed through the Academy’s selection process, where it will compete with submissions from other countries for a place on the international feature shortlist.

The shortlist is scheduled to be announced on December 15, 2026, while the final nominees are expected to be revealed on January 21, 2027.