Committee Members’ Voting Rules

INTRODUCTION

The NOSC uses an open ballot system to select Nigeria’s official submission via the country- or region-selection pathway.

The open ballot is intended to promote:

transparency;
professional accountability; and
confidence in the integrity of the national selection process.

Each Committee member is expected to exercise independent professional judgment.

1. ONE MEMBER, ONE VOTE

Each eligible participating Committee member is entitled to one vote during the ordinary ballot.

The Chairperson also has one vote during the ordinary ballot and participates on the same basis as every other eligible voting member.

2. OPEN BALLOT

Voting is conducted through an open ballot.

Each Committee member states or records their choice in a manner visible to the authorised participants and officials supervising the process.

Each member must provide a brief professional reason for their choice.

The supporting reason:

promotes professional accountability;
demonstrates independent consideration of the films; and
does not create an additional vote or separate score.

3. BASIS FOR VOTING

Committee members should consider eligible films as complete works of cinema.

Considerations may include:

storytelling;
direction;
performances;
cinematography;
editing;
production design;
sound;
music;
originality;
technical execution;
overall artistic achievement; and
the film’s strength as a complete work.

Eligibility and artistic evaluation are separate.

A film must first satisfy the applicable eligibility requirements before proceeding to the final selection ballot.

4. INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT

Each Committee member is responsible for their own vote.

Committee members must not:

pressure another member to vote for or against a film;
attempt to control another member’s vote;
offer or accept an inducement connected to a vote;
engage in vote trading;
coordinate votes for an improper purpose; or
allow personal, political, financial or other improper considerations to determine their vote.

Professional discussion may take place before voting.

Once voting begins, members must not attempt to influence another member’s voting choice.

5. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND RECUSAL

Committee members must disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest involving a submitted film.

Where recusal is required, the affected member must not participate in the relevant:

viewing;
discussion;
evaluation; or
voting process.

A recused member is not entitled to vote in relation to the affected film or ballot.

6. SUPERVISION OF THE BALLOT

Before voting begins, the following must be confirmed:

the films eligible for the ballot;
the Committee members eligible to vote;
any conflicts of interest or recusals;
the open ballot procedure;
the method for recording votes; and
the tie-breaking procedure.

Votes must be accurately recorded and the final tally verified.

7. DETERMINING THE SELECTED FILM

The eligible film receiving the highest number of valid votes becomes Nigeria’s official selection, subject to completion of the applicable submission requirements.

Nigeria may select no more than one film as its official submission through the country or region selection pathway.

8. TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURE

If two or more films receive the same highest number of votes, the Chairperson shall exercise a casting vote to determine the selected film.

The Chairperson participates in the ordinary ballot and has one vote on the same basis as every other eligible Committee member.

The casting vote is separate from the Chairperson’s ordinary vote. It arises only where two or more films are tied for the highest number of votes.

The Chairperson may exercise the casting vote only when the films are tied.

The casting vote provides a clear, predetermined mechanism for resolving a deadlock and ensuring the selection process reaches a final decision.

The Chairperson may not exercise a casting vote where the Chairperson has a conflict of interest with, or is required to recuse themselves from, any of the tied films.

Once the casting vote has been exercised and the result formally recorded and verified, the outcome is final.

9. FINALITY OF THE RESULT

Once:

all valid votes have been cast;
the votes have been counted;
any tie has been resolved;
the result has been verified; and
the result has been formally recorded,

The outcome is final.

Votes may not be changed after the ballot has closed and the result has been verified.

10. CONFIDENTIALITY

Although voting is conducted through an open ballot, the outcome remains confidential until the NOSC makes an official public announcement.

Committee members must not disclose:

the selected film;
the vote tally;
individual voting choices;
confidential Committee discussions; or
other non-public information concerning the selection process to any unauthorised person before the official announcement.

11. SUPPORT FOR THE OFFICIAL SUBMISSION

Following the selection, Committee members are expected to support the integrity of the completed national selection process.

The NOSC will work with the authorised representatives of the selected film to complete the required Academy submission.

Committee members must respect the final decision once the voting process has been completed, verified and formally recorded.

IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE

The open ballot system is intended to make each Committee member professionally accountable for their own vote.

It is not intended to create an election, campaign or lobbying process.

Committee members are expected to select the film they independently believe is the strongest choice among the eligible films under consideration.