We made it to Sundance. We've traveled across continents. And now, BIRDIE is officially Oscar-qualified.

After premiering at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, our little film has been making its way around the world, connecting with audiences across the US, Canada, South Africa, the UK, and Nigeria.

Our run so far :)

We're now campaigning for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2027 Academy Awards, and we're raising $10,000 to give Birdie a real shot at the shortlist and, hopefully, a nomination.

Truthfully, I almost decided not to pursue an Oscar campaign.

It's expensive. It's exhausting. It requires a lot of asking. And with everything happening in the world, asking people to put money toward an awards campaign feels a little absurd.

And…I’ve also been thinking a lot about the kinds of stories our culture makes space for. And who gets to decide which ones are worth paying attention to. We're living in this era of dopamine hits, endless scrolling, and stories engineered to grab our attention in seconds. Birdie is a different kind of film.

Set in the 1970s, in the aftermath of the Biafran War, it follows two Nigerian sisters navigating adolescence in an unfamiliar America. It's about girlhood, the things children absorb when the adults around them are trying to survive, and what it means to grow up between two worlds.

It's a quieter kind of storytelling. It asks you to pay attention. To sit with lives and histories that don't often get the cinematic treatment they deserve. No easy answers, no neat little bows.

And the thing is… people are connecting with it.

Audiences across so many countries and cultures are finding something of themselves in this very specific story. That's been one of the most beautiful and surprising parts of this whole journey.

It has reminded me of why we need to give this film every chance to be seen. And that more films like Birdie films that bring the global female perspective to the big screen need to be made.

So we're doing the Oscar campaign.

An Oscar is not the ultimate measure of a film's worth. We’ve already won. But if we’re being real, we know what that kind of visibility can do. It can get a film into rooms it might never have entered, and bring attention to stories that are too easily overlooked.

Whether or not we make the shortlist or land a nomination, every screening, piece of press, new audience member, and industry connection helps Birdie find its place in the larger conversation. It also builds momentum for our next feature, Pillar of Salt, and the stories we hope to tell after that.

We're raising $10,000 to help cover:

There are a lot of wonderful films out there competing for attention, and getting a film seen takes real resources. Particularly when you don't have a studio or a massive PR budget behind you.

We are definitely not trying to outspend Hollywood ! We're trying to be smart, resourceful, and give this film the shot we think it deserves.

If you can, contribute whatever feels right, we'd be so grateful. And if you can't, share this with someone who might. That matters too.

I want to see more films like Birdie get made. Not just celebrated in theory, but actually made, seen, and supported. This is one small way we can push for that.

Thank you for being part of it.

With love,

Praise and the Birdie team