Damilola Orimogunje’s Dear Ajayi is officially carrying Nigeria’s hopes into the race for the 99th Academy Awards. The feature film has been selected as Nigeria’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the 99th Academy Awards, putting Nollywood on the road to the 2027 Oscars.

Dear Ajayi has officially joined the race for the 99th Academy Awards, representing Nigeria in the Best International Feature Film category.

Grateful to the Nigerian Oscars Selection Committee and everyone who believed in this story.

Wider Nigerian theatrical release: November… pic.twitter.com/ouC9SScoDG

— Damilola Orimogunje (@DamiOrimogunje) October 5, 2026

The Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) announced the selection after reviewing films submitted during its August 1–31 call for entries. The decision marks Nigeria’s return to the Oscars selection process after the committee did not submit a film for the 98th Academy Awards.

The 99th Oscars are scheduled to take place on March 14, 2027, in Los Angeles. However, Dear Ajayi’s selection is not the same as an Academy Award nomination. The film must first go through the Academy’s eligibility and voting process before the International Feature Film shortlist and eventual five nominees are determined.

Produced, written, and directed by Orimogunje, Dear Ajayi is a Nigeria-Germany co-production set in southwestern Nigeria in the 1990s. The film follows Ade and Titi Ajayi, two estranged sisters whose lives have taken very different directions. Ade, played by Bimbo Akintola, is a devout Christian and the family’s breadwinner, while Titi, played by Tosin Adeyemi, is an aspiring secular singer whose independent outlook conflicts with the religious expectations of her family.

Their already complicated relationship is tested when their paralysed mother, played by Lanre Hassan, returns to the family home and the sisters are forced to live together and care for her. The arrangement reopens old wounds and brings questions of grief, faith, ambition, sacrifice and family responsibility to the surface.

i'm beyond thrilled to finally present to you my latest gift to humanity. a film that has lived with me for years, and i'm now ready to share with you.

WORLD PREMIERE IN VENICE: September 10th
IN NIGERIAN THEATERS: November 13th pic.twitter.com/Cc53GmTk8M

— Damilola Orimogunje (@DamiOrimogunje) August 29, 2026

The cast also includes William Benson, Antar Laniyan, Uzoamaka Power, Michelle Dede, and Chioma “Chigul” Omeruah. The film was shot in Ibadan, with the dialogue moving between Yoruba, English and Igbo. Its story is deeply Nigerian despite its international production structure, with 2o9ine Films, Depth and Optics Productions and Zynox Productions representing Nigeria alongside Germany’s Mayana Films.

The film began its development around 2017, making its journey to the screen a near-decade-long process. It eventually emerged as one of the notable Nigerian productions on the international festival circuit in 2026. Its biggest breakthrough came at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where it became the first Nigerian film selected for the Competition section of Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days).

The film’s Venice appearance also produced two major awards. It won the CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Prize, also known as the Fellini Medal, an award recognising the film’s humanistic qualities. It also received the Bisato d’Oro Award for Best Cast and Performances, recognising its ensemble cast led by Akintola and Adeyemi.

Those achievements gave the film international recognition before its selection by the NOSC. Its Venice run also positioned Orimogunje’s second feature as part of a growing wave of Nigerian films finding space within major international cinema platforms.

I made this film after I read a viral thread on postpartum depression on Nigerian Twitter in 2019. This is my gift to humanity. Please watch & share @ForMariaMovie now streaming on NETFLIX. pic.twitter.com/k1u4TTnNiS

— Damilola Orimogunje (@DamiOrimogunje) January 16, 2022

The director isn’t new to international recognition. His debut feature, For Maria: Ebun Pataki, received six African Movie Academy Award nominations, while his production feature, All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White, won the Teddy Award at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival.

Following its international festival run, Dear Ajayi is also making its way to Nigerian audiences. The film is scheduled for a Nigerian theatrical release on November 13, 2026, with FilmOne Entertainment handling its distribution in West Africa.