A group of Nepalian filmmakers has reportedly submitted a formal complaint to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences which challenges the country’s submission of “Anjila” for the international function Oscar, conflicts of interest and violations claim. “Anjila” director Milan Chams dismissed the complaint as “personal disappointment” from rival filmmakers.
The protest is aimed at the choice of “Anjila”, a biographical drama about Anjila Tumbapo Subba, captain and goalkeeper for Nepal’s women’s national football team, who plays as herself. The film traces her rise from a restrictive home life to leading the squad and highlights her struggle against social expectations.
Chams called the complaint as “personal disappointment” and accused Samundra Bhatta, director of the competing movie “Gunyo Cholo”, to offer up to $ 100,000 to remove its movie from consideration.
“She completely expressed confidence that her film would be chosen, with reference to personal relationships with committee members,” Chams said in a statement to Amount.
Neither Chams nor Bhatta responded to requests for comment Saturday. The academy did not immediately return messages that sought comment.
Filmmakers Deepak Rauniyar and Binod Paudel, among other things, claim that the process was carried out in close secret. They say that the application window was reduced to nine days during a national crisis that included curfew and the prime minister’s departure, which left many who could not submit films. They also point to committee member Jeevan Kumar Parajuli’s double role as both voters and “Anjila’s” media coordinator as an “obvious conflict of interest.”
“This is so unfair to Nepalian filmmakers,” wrote producer Ram Krishna Pokharel on social media and criticized the lack of public message.
The academy requires that each country’s selection committee publish its process, but do not dictate procedures in addition to compliance with the rules of authority. Nepal’s deadline is October 1, after which the academy will be a veterinarian.
The protesting filmmakers urge the academy to invalid Nepal’s submission and order a restart with a 30-day application window and independent monitoring.
