Kunle Afolayan responds to ‘Anikulapo’ rejection by Oscars
Renowned Nigerian film producer and director, Kunle Afolayan, has responded to the Oscar selection committee’s rejection of his recently released film, ‘Anikulapo’.
Oscar declared the film which revolved around a stranger who had an illicit affair with one of the King’s young wives, which resulted in his death sentence, as ‘non-eligible’.
Last month, the Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee announced that three Yoruba-language submissions had been received: Anklápó, Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman, and King of Thieves.
The committee, however, rejected all three films because a majority of the selection committee voted that they were “ineligible.”
Responding to the rejection, the 47-year-old filmmaker wrote:
I am so pleased and delighted that the whole world has decided to tag Anikulapo film a masterpiece even though the Nigerian selection committee thinks it’s not worth submitting to the Oscars.
Will keep making and doing my thing.
The movie, ‘Anikulapo’, has since gathered many positive reviews regardless of the Oscar committee rejection.
Afolayan collaborated with Netflix, and the film was produced and shot at the recently opened KAP resort in a village in Oyo State by Jonathan Kovel.