It’s another award season and the road to the 97th edition of the Oscars, AKA Academy Awards is underway
For the 2025 Academy Awards (Oscars), the Nigerian Official Selection Committee (NOSC) has chosen Mai Martaba as a contender for the Best International Feature Film category. This film reportedly received the highest votes from the 15-member NOSC committee. Mai Martaba is now Nigeria’s third successful submission to the Oscars, seeking a shortlist selection in December 2024, then a possible nomination (January 2025) and a win at the 97th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Ovation Hollywood on March 2, 2025.
Mai Martaba makes history as the third Nigerian contender at the Oscars after CJ Fiery Obasi’s Mami Wata in 2023.
All you need to know about Nigeria’s Mai Martaba is here.
Meaning of Mai Martaba
According to the makers of this film, its title translates to “Your Royal Highness” in Hausa. In case you still haven’t figured it out, Mai Martaba is a Hausa-language film from the Kannywood sector of Nollywood.
What’s the film about?
Mai Martaba is a spinoff of a radio drama series called Kasar Jallaba on 93.1 Arewa Radio.
It’s set in an ancient kingdom that once had a great and successful business trade thanks to the trans-saharan trade. However, it all fell apart due to an internal power tussle in the Agadashawa ruling clan. Think of female leadership, love, greed, power play, war and betrayal.
Shot in the North
The movie was shot somewhere in Daura, Katsina state.
Crew
Mai Martaba is produced and directed by Prince Daniel Aboki, a broadcaster and the Group Programme Director of Cool FM, Wazobia FM, Nigeria Info FM, Arewa Radio, and Kids FM. GhaliAbdallah DZ developed the story, and AGM Bashir wrote the screenplay.
Cast
This film has around 500 casts, with Kannywood actors like Adam A. Zango, GhaliAbdallah DZ, Muktar Aminu Haruna, Fatima Mohammed and Tasi’u Ali. Mai Martaba features mainly new film actors. According to Prince Daniel Aboki, “The only star actor in Mai Martaba happens to be Adam A. Zango because, initially, I wanted like 100 percent new actors.”
2024 premiere
It officially premiered at the cinemas in the Kardashian states (Kano, Kaduna, Katsina) in July 2024.
Award nominations
Since its premiere, Mai Martaba has been selected for the Septimus Awards, at an international film award and festival in Amsterdam. It was also nominated for Best Directing and Best Picture at the Hollywood Weekly Magazine Film Festival & Award Ceremony. Now, it’s been selected for the Oscars. It’s looking good for Mai Martaba and its contributors.
