C.J ‘Fiery’ Obasi’s MamiWata drops out of Oscars race, nominated for Spirit Awards

C.J Obasi’s film ‘Mami Wata’ dropped out of the Oscar race as it didn’t make the 15-film shortlist announced by The Academy. The Nollywood movie which made waves in 2023 picking up several awards both locally and internationally became one of the most anticipated movies worldwide to make it to the Oscars International Feature Film category in 2024.

However the movie has been nominated for the 39th Independent Spirit Awards. The 39th Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best independent films and television series of 2023, will be presented by Film Independent on February 25, 2024. The ceremony will take place at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California, and will be hosted by American actress and comedian Aidy Bryant. For the second year in a row, the ceremony will be streamed live on the YouTube channels of both IMDb and Film Independent, among other social platforms.

It was announced in October of 2023 by the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) as Nigeria’s contender for the International Feature Film category of next year’s 96th Oscars ceremony. The film received the highest number of votes from the NOSC’s 14-member committee.

Mami Wata is a 2023 black-and-white fantasy thriller film written and directed by C.J. “Fiery” Obasi, based on West African folklore. The film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, marking Obasi’s third feature to screen at Sundance.