‘We Should Campaign in LA’ – Kenneth Gyang on Oscars 2021
As the 2021 Oscars draw closer, Twitter users have been clamouring for The Milkmaid to get the recognition it deserves. However, director Kenneth Gyang believes that if there are to be any campaigns for the Oscars, they should be in Los Angeles.
The filmmaker insists that for The Milkmaid, Nigeria’s International Feature Film submission, to win the category; they would need to get the attention of the members of the Academy, who reside in Los Angeles, California.
“I need to be paid for this but will say it for free,” he wrote. “There are no Oscar voting members here (3?!). The Milkmaid‘s campaign needs to be in LA. All these campaigns on Naija Twitter & tagging me won’t work. We need to take the campaign INTERNATIONAL. Study the f*ckin Miramax model!”
Citing Harvey Weinstein’s Oscar campaign strategy (Miramax Model), Gyang suggests that producers of the country’s submission should be campaigning in Los Angeles; granting interviews to US media platforms and hosting screenings that target Academy voting members.
“Look at the Roma poster where Academy voting members might be. It is all about talking to LA/New York Times; being part of the biggest breakfast shows in the US, and of course organising screenings (and targeting) Academy voting members”, Gyang added.
Gyang’s Netflix film, Oloture produced by Mo Abudu was among the contending films for this year’s IFF submissions. However, the movie lost to the Desmond Ovbiagele film.
