Prince Daniel, director of Nigeria’s Oscar submission, Mai Martaba, has said that the Nigerian government is yet to release funding for his film’s official campaign. Daniel was speaking in an interview with the American film trade magazine The Film Verdict.
“We haven’t received any funds yet,” he said. “But we remain hopeful that the support will come our way soon.”
This comes weeks after the government pledged its support through Vice President Kashim Shettima. Already, voting has begun in the Best International Feature Film category and other countries have kicked off “For Your Consideration” campaigns weeks ago.
In getting selected to represent his country, Daniel became only the third filmmaker, after Desmond Ovbiagele and CJ Obasi, to get the nod from Nigeria’s Oscars Selection Committee. But it appears the expected support has yet to reach the filmmaker this close to the announcement of the results of the first round of voting by the Academy.
Mai Martaba Theme
In the interview, Daniel also explains the theme of his film, saying that Mai Martaba “stands on its own and critiques a system that has shaped the society it is set in for generations”.
Famous in Nigeria’s media space for appearing on radio over many years, Daniel, whose nickname is Aboki, also told the magazine that his decision to shoot his film in Hausa was intentional because he wanted to provide an alternative to the dominance of other languages in Nollywood.
“In making Mai Martaba,” he said, “I saw an opportunity to showcase Kannywood’s cultural contributions on a broader scale. Of course, our film industry is largely dominated by the English, Yoruba, and Igbo segments. I wanted to make a Hausa-language film that would resonate with diverse audiences locally and internationally.”
Daniel’s film is based on a popular radio programme, which, he says already had cinematic potential. “Anyone familiar with it can tell you about its vivid characters and the rich, emotional story it tells,” he said.
