"Johannesburg, 19 October 2023 – The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC), is excited to announce the selection and submission of Music is My Life – Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo (“Music is My Life”) as South Africa’s official entry in the International Feature Film category for the 96th Annual Academy Awards (Oscars).
The decision on the entry was made as a result of the South African Academy Awards Selection Committee engaging on a rigorous judging process of scored reviews and deliberations. This year’s Committee comprised of a diverse group of seasoned industry professionals from various fields within the film industry, who were submitted to and approved by the Academy. Once the call for submissions closed on 10 August 2023, the committee evaluated a total of 4 film submissions from 18 to 22 September 2023, at Nu Metro cinemas in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. The submissions were evaluated based on the Academy Awards’ Best International Feature Film eligibility criteria. The NFVF appointed a reputable firm, SNG Grant Thornton to assess the overall judging process and ensure the integrity of the process. Once the committee had deliberated in its meeting held on 22 September 2023, the submission Music is My Life – Joseph Shabalala and Ladysmith Black Mambazo received the highest votes as the official selectiononce the scores weretallied and vetted by the auditors."
