After a two-decade hiatus, Tanzania has finally made an entry at the Oscars Awards under the “Best International Film” category.
Amil Shivji’s romantic drama “Vuta N’Kuvute” (Tug of War) was released in Swahili with predominantly African cast.
Shivji took to his Instagram handle to express his gratitude towards the recognition.
“It’s an honour and privilege to be selected as Tanzania’s official submission to the 95th Academy awards. Two decades have passed since Tanzania has been recognised by the world’s most prestigious platform for cinema.
“Although these are baby steps, the future of Tanzania’s cinema is finally in our hands. A wave of Swahili filmmakers grows with pride, intellect and audacity every day,” he wrote.
Tug of War is Tanzania’s second entry ever, after the first appearance took place 21 years ago with the movie “Maangazi: The Ancient One” in 2002.
The film premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), making history as the first Tanzanian movie to ever get selected for the festival.