Entertainment
Nigerian Oscar Entry “Lionheart” Disqualified for English Dialogue
Published
3 years agoon

- Nigeria’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, Lionheart, has been disqualified because the majority of the film’s dialogue is in English.
- According to the Academy’s rules, an international film must have a “predominantly non-English dialogue track.”
- Critics like Ava Duvernay pointed out that this rule would essentially bar Nigeria from submitting a film to this category in its official language, which is English. Lionheart can still be submitted for other awards, but it is rare to see a foreign film in slots like Best Picture.
- This has prompted an online discussion on the Academy’s rules and what it should mean to be a considered foreign film.
“Lionheart” Disqualified from Oscars Entry
Leaders in the film industry are speaking out after Nigeria’s first submission to the Acadamy Award’s Best International Feature Film category was disqualified for being primarily in English.
According to a report from The Wrap, The Acadamy sent out an e-mail Monday announcing that Lionheart is no longer eligible for the award formerly known as Best Foreign Language Film. Lionheart was directed by Nigerian actress and filmmaker Genevieve Nnaji, who also stars in the film.
Of the film’s 95 minute run, less than 15 minutes are in Igbo, a language native to Nigeria, and the rest is in English. The Academy defines an international film as “a feature-length motion picture (defined as over 40 minutes) produced outside the United States of America with a predominantly non-English dialogue track.” English, however, is Nigeria’s official language.
When the Oscars initially announced the list of submitted films in October, Lionheart appeared on the list, but it had not yet been reviewed by the International Feature Film Award Executive Committee. A recent viewing prompted the disqualification and an upcoming screening of the film for voters has been canceled.
Reactions to the Disqualification
Because Nigeria’s official language is English, this decision sparked backlash from members of the film community. Director, writer, and producer Ava Duvernay, who is behind projects like Selma and When They See Us, tweeted to the Academy about the news.
To @TheAcademy, You disqualified Nigeria’s first-ever submission for Best International Feature because its in English. But English is the official language of Nigeria. Are you barring this country from ever competing for an Oscar in its official language? https://t.co/X3EGb01tPF
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) November 4, 2019
Nnaji shared Duvernay’s tweet saying Lionheart “represents the way we speak as Nigerians.”
1/1 1/2 Thank you so much @ava❤️.
— Genevieve Nnaji MFR (@GenevieveNnaji1) November 4, 2019
I am the director of Lionheart. This movie represents the way we speak as Nigerians. This includes English which acts as a bridge between the 500+ languages spoken in our country; thereby making us #OneNigeria. @TheAcademy https://t.co/LMfWDDNV3e
She also compared Nigeria’s use of English to former French colonies’ relationship with France and the French language.
2/2 It’s no different to how French connects communities in former French colonies. We did not choose who colonized us. As ever, this film and many like it, is proudly Nigerian. @TheAcademy https://t.co/LMfWDDNV3e
— Genevieve Nnaji MFR (@GenevieveNnaji1) November 4, 2019
The idea of colonization became a major talking point in the online discussion of Lionheart’s disqualification. Nigeria was colonized by the British, which is why English is spoken there to begin with.
“So now we are getting penalised for having been colonised by Britain?” writer and journalist Afua Hirsch asked.
Nigeria's first ever entry to the Oscars has been disqualified for… wait for it… featuring too much English. So now we are getting penalised for having been colonised by Britain? Wow. Someone please give @TheAcademy a history lesson https://t.co/G3aZ0oBS7E
— Afua Hirsch (@afuahirsch) November 5, 2019
“You really can’t win with this lot. Quite literally cannot win,” added journalist Samira Sawlani.
Lionheart was today disqualified from the Oscar’s Best Intl Film.. because.. it is mostly in English.
— Samira Sawlani (@samirasawlani) November 5, 2019
Nigeria was colonised by the Brits.
English is an official language in the Country.
You really can’t win with this lot.
Quite literally cannot win. https://t.co/Ie052bUXF4
Discussion on Academy Rules
The news of Nigeria being barred for submitting a film in its own official language started a discussion on what it should mean to be classified as a foreign or international film, as well as discussion over how the Oscars should adopt this in their rules. Lulu Wang, who wrote and directed The Farewell, asked questions about how we should define these concepts.
This calls attention to the delineation of "foreign film" vs "foreign-language film". Which makes more sense? Can a "foreign film" be in OUR language (i.e. English)? Can a domestic (i.e American) film be in a foreign language? What does it mean to be foreign? And to be American? https://t.co/JqyvVeW5RQ
— Lulu Wang (@thumbelulu) November 5, 2019
One user pointed out that other award shows have updated their rules after people protested them for being outdated or unfair.
1. Steaming music wasn’t considered for Grammys once. People protested and campaigned before rules changed.
— Editi Effiòng (@EditiEffiong) November 5, 2019
2. Ava isn’t saying Lionheart met the language minimums. She’s saying that rule is silly.
3. That other films qualified doesn’t mean the rule isn’t silly, in context.
Another suggested that there be two categories for foreign films so more could be included and the rules could be applied in a more even manner.
Dear @TheAcademy, your criteria is valid, but so is our reality. Creating 2 categories – Best Foreign Film and Best International Film – is probably best. Filmmakers don't make films for awards. We make films for our audience. #Lionheart https://t.co/VjqspoiWi3
— Zulumoke (@zvlv_o) November 5, 2019
The Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee responded to the Academy’s decision themselves. In a statement obtained by Variety, they said that many movies in the Nigerian film industry use English to obtain a wider reach.
“The budding Nigerian film industry is often faced with producing films with wide reach which often makes the recording dialogue predominantly English with non-English infusions in some cases,” they said.
They later added that this disqualification was “an eye-opener and step forward into growing a better industry” that could urge filmmakers “to shoot with the intention of non-English recording dialogue as a key qualifying parameter to represent the country in the [contest for the] most prestigious award.”
The Academy has not made a statement on the matter. Lionheart is still eligible to submit itself for Best Picture and other awards. Foreign-produced films, however, rarely make it to these slots and none have ever won the top prize.
See what others are saying: (The Wrap) (Variety) (Los Angeles Times)
Entertainment
Andrew Tate to Remain in Romanian Detention After Losing Appeal
Published
3 days agoon
February 1, 2023
The controversial influencer, accused of sex trafficking and organized crime, has maintained his innocence.
Appeal Rejected
A Romanian court on Wednesday upheld a judge’s decision to extend influencer Andrew Tate’s arrest another 30 days.
The judge initially tacked the extra time onto his detention on Jan. 20. According to BBC News, the judge cited “the capacity…of the defendants to exercise permanent psychological control over the victims, including by resorting to constant acts of violence”.
Tate appealed that decision alongside his brother and two others, all of whom were arrested as part of an ongoing sex trafficking and organized crime investigation. The court’s Wednesday decision rejected that appeal, meaning Tate and the other accused individuals will remain in custody until at least Feb. 27.
Investigators claim that Tate lured victims under the guise of a romantic relationship, only to place them under surveillance and force them to make pornographic content. Tate has denied the accusations.
“You know I’m innocent,” Tate said to reporters Wednesday morning while walking into the courtroom.
“Ask them for evidence and they will give you none,” he added while leaving court. “Because it doesn’t exist. You’ll find out the truth of this case soon.”
Tate’s Controversial Online Presence
Ever since December his arrest, Tate’s Twitter account has continued to post sometimes cryptic messages about the investigation into him.
“Would your life be fine without you?” he tweeted on Tuesday, one day before his appeal was rejected. “In Romania. They can steal your life without a trial. They do not need evidence, In this system, innocent men return to ruined lives. My life outside is fine. But for most men, 6 months detained and their whole life will crumble.”
Would your life be fine without you?
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) January 31, 2023
In Romania.
They can steal your life without a trial.
They do not need evidence,
In this system, innocent men return to ruined lives.
My life outside is fine.
But for most men, 6 months detained and their whole life will crumble.
Tate is a controversial online figure famous for spreading violent misogyny to his often young male followers. He has been banned by a number of social media platforms for his drastic remarks, including one where he said rape victims should “bear responsibility” for the assault they endured.
Tate and his brother recently added high-profile lawyer Tina Glandian to their defense team. Glandian has previously represented celebrities like Chris Brown, Jussie Smollett, and Kesha.
On Wednesday, she said there is a “lack of evidence against the Tate brothers.”
“So far the system has failed,” she said, via the Associated Press.
See what others are saying: (BBC News) (The Associated Press) (Rolling Stone)
Entertainment
QTCinderalla Vows to Sue Deepfake Website: “Constant Objectification” is “Exhausting”
Published
4 days agoon
January 31, 2023
The streamer said that anyone who chooses to view nonconsensual deepfake porn is “the problem.”
QTCinderella Plans Legal Action
Twitch streamer QTCinderalla said during a Monday stream that she is going to sue the maker of a website that hosts explicit deepfake images of herself and other content creators.
“I promise you, with every part of my fucking soul, I am going to sue you,” QTCinderella, whose real name is Blaire, said through tears.
Blaire went live after fellow streamer Atrioc accidentally revealed on Twitch that he had an open tab to a website that hosts deepfake porn. Graphic images of high-profile female streamers were visible his browser, and the website also includes deepfakes of more creators, including Blaire.
Atrioc apologized for accessing deepfake images on a website that promotes explicit content of his female streaming colleagues. He claimed that he got “morbidly curious” and “clicked something” after falling down an artificial intelligence rabbit hole online.
“It’s gross,” he said. “It’s gross and I’m sorry.”
In the past, Blaire has talked about having to pay services thousands of dollars to remove graphic deepfake content that has been posted without her consent. Despite those efforts, it is an issue she still has to deal with on a regular basis.
“Fuck the fucking Internet,” she said during her Monday stream. “Fuck the constant objectification and exploitation of women, it’s exhausting.”
“Fuck Atrioc for showing it to thousands of people,” she continued. “Fuck the people DMing me pictures of myself from that website.”
The Objectification of Female Streamers
Blaire said that it “should not be a part of [her] job” to constantly fight for this content to be removed from the Internet, nor should it be her job to deal with the onslaught of harassment that comes with the dissemination of these fabricated images.
“If you are able to look at women who are not selling themselves or benefiting off of being seen sexually — they’re not benefiting, they’re not selling it, they’re not platforming it themselves — if you are able to look at that, you are the problem,” she said. “You see women as an object.”
On Twitter, she explained that the repercussions of these deepfakes go far beyond exploitation and violation.
“The amount of body dysmorphia I’ve experienced since seeing those photos has ruined me,” she said.
The amount of body dysmorphia I’ve experienced since seeing those photos has ruined me.
— QTCinderella (@qtcinderella) January 31, 2023
It’s not as simple as “just” being violated. It’s so much more than that.
She was far from the only person to call out how invasive it is to post or consume deepfake content of people who did not consent to being depicted in a sexual manner.
“Stop sexualizing people without their consent,” Pokimane, who is also among the female streamers featured on the site, said. “That’s it, that’s the tweet.”
stop sexualizing people without their consent.
— pokimane (@pokimanelol) January 31, 2023
that’s it, that’s the tweet.
“No one should have themselves be put on a deepfake porn website w/o their consent and it’s fucking disgusting at the men who are making light of this shit. fucking despicable,” another person wrote.
all love for QT, maya, pokimane, and every single female streamer on that disgusting website.
— SomeChillThoughts (@SomeDadThoughts) January 30, 2023
no one should have themselves be put on a deepfake porn website w/o their consent and it's fucking disgusting at the men who are making light of this shit.
fucking despicable
See what others are saying: (Dexerto) (Metro) (The Gamer)
Entertainment
Britney Spears Asks For Privacy After Fans Called Cops to Conduct a Wellness Check on Her
Published
1 week agoon
January 26, 2023
Fans said they were concerned after the singer deleted her Instagram account.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was updated to include a statement from Britney Spears
Fans Call 911
Britney Spears said her fans “went a little too far” after some called the police to conduct a wellness check on her.
The fans, many fueled by online conspiracy theories, were concerned about Spears because she deleted her Instagram account. While this is something the singer has done multiple times in the past, her fans thought she had left secret signals in her last post suggesting she needed help.
Some even posted videos of them calling emergency services on TikTok, a platform that is full of conspiracy videos about Spears.
“I love and adore my fans but this time things went a little too far and my privacy was invaded,” Spears wrote in a statement on Thursday, citing “prank phone calls” that were made to police.
— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) January 26, 2023
According to Spears, officers did not enter her home because once they got to her gate, they “quickly realized there was no issue and left immediately.”
“This felt like I was being gaslit and bullied once the incident made it to the news and being portrayed once again in a poor and unfair light by the media,” Spears continued. “During this time in my life, I truly hope the public and my fans who I care so much about can respect my privacy moving forward.”
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Ventura County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Page Six that the department “did get calls into our dispatch” but added there was no reason to believe that Spears was “in any kind of harm or any kind of danger.”
That spokesperson declined to say if officials contacted Spears or conducted a wellness check, citing privacy and public trust issues.
The Prominence of Britney Spears Conspiracies
Just over a year has passed since Spears was freed from a highly restrictive conservatorship that controlled her life and finances for 13 years. Throughout the conservatorship, fans tried to use the pop icon’s social media to pick up clues that she was secretly struggling. She did not publicly speak about the conservatorship until the summer of 2021.
Now that she has her freedom, fans are still reading heavily into her posts. Some believe there are hidden messages in her captions and in the gestures she does while dancing. Others think she is dead, missing, or hiding and that a body double is being used in her posts. Some are so concerned that they are coordinating a mass effort to pressure the Los Angeles Times into investigating Spears’ whereabouts and safety.
In the last several years, many have reflected on Spears’ early days in the spotlight and the cruel ways she was harassed and targeted by paparazzi, news outlets, and culture at large. Often the punchline to a joke throughout the 2000s, many now sympathize with Spears, who was forced to endure heavy public scrutiny at a young age. Documentaries like “Framing Britney Spears” prompted many to see Spears as a victim of abusive media tactics, not the “crazy” woman tabloids painted her to be.
Many are now concerned that fans are only going to subject Spears to a new onslaught of harassment by calling the police to her house. Even if the conspiracy theories are technically well-intentioned and often come from a place of concern, some believe they will jumpstart a media frenzy that could harm Spears’ mental well-being.
See what others are saying: (Page Six) (Jezebel) (TMZ)

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