Its Executive Producer and U.S.-based Nigerian surgeon, Dr.
Oluseun Sowemimo, said in a statement that the event will hold at Terra Kulture
on Jan. 10.
The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, is expected to be the special guest of honor, with ace comedian,
Basketmouth, as Master of Ceremony.
Written, produced, and directed by Desmond Ovbiagele, The
Milkmaid spotlights insurgency and extremism, especially as they affect women
and children in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Technically crafted to the highest international cinematic
standards, the film showcases the natural beauty of Nigeria’s topography such
as the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba state.
It also highlights the richness of the subregion’s colorful
Hausa and Fulani cultures.
On Dec. 1, 2020, the movie the 12-member Nigeria Official
Selection Committee (NOSC) picked the movie as Nigeria’s representative to the
93rd Oscars in the category of Best International Feature Film.
This followed a statutory vetting and subsequent voting of
entries received from Nigerian filmmakers at home and abroad.
Sowemimo said of the film: “It follows Aisha, a Fulani
milkmaid, searching for the whereabouts of her younger sister, Zainab after a
forced separation.
“Dire personal circumstances force her to approach the
extremists who were responsible for their predicament in the first instance,
but she is determined to find her despite the compromises she must make to do
so.
“However, her quest to recapture her serene past proves to
be unexpectedly complicated in a world whose seething conflict provides several
paths to becoming a victim with typically irreversible consequences.”
The Milkmaid received eight nominations at the 16th edition
of the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) in December 2020.
It won five awards for Best Film, Best Supporting Actress,
Best Nigerian Film, Best Film in an African Language, and Achievement in
Make-up.
On Dec. 17, the minister of information pledged the Federal
Government’s support for the movie, while also urging other stakeholders to
lend theirs.
In a statement, Mohammed said The Milkmaid “is a testament
to the progress which the local film industry has made in the areas of
professionalism and international competitiveness”.
He said that the film also highlighted Nigeria’s potential
as a viable destination for cutting edge film productions.