Renowned Nollywood actress, Stephanie Linus has been bestowed with the esteemed role of chairing the Nigerian Official Selection Committee, NOSC, for the highly regarded Academy Awards’ category of Best International Feature Film, widely recognized as the Oscars.
NOSC’s official announcement came shortly after Chineze Anyaene-Abonyi, the founder of the committee, formally resigned from her position as chairperson. In the wake of Chineze’s departure, Stephanie Linus was swiftly unveiled as her successor by the NOSC.
According to reports, Anyaene-Abonyi stepped down following her successful effort in securing the reaffirmation of the NOSC by the Oscars committee, as part of the preparations for the upcoming 96th edition of the esteemed Academy Awards, scheduled to take place in 2024.
This development occurred after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, AMPAS, approved the establishment of a restructured 14-member team for the NOSC following the departure of the previous chairperson
The newly constituted NOSC team consists of various distinguished individuals, such as Dr. Chidia Maduekwe, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC); Omotola Jolade-Ekeinde, a renowned veteran Nollywood actress; Dr. Victor Okhai, the President of the Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN); and Mr. Andy Amenechi, a former President of the DGN.
The team also includes theater practitioners and other relevant industry professionals who will contribute their expertise to the NOSC’s initiatives.