Akinola Davies Jr’s Feature Directorial Debut Officially Selected for 2025 Cannes Lineup

My Father’s Shadow, written by Wale Davies and directed by Akinola Davies, has been officially selected to compete at the 78th edition of the prestigious Festival de Cannes (also known as the 2025 Cannes Film Festival) in the Un Certain Regard (A Certain Glance) category.

Shot entirely in Nigeria, with a predominantly Nigerian cast and crew led by English actor of Nigerian descent Sope Dirisu, the film showcases the country’s rich cinematic talents and projects breakout actors like Godwin Marvellous and Chibuike Egbo to the global stage. This collective achievement marks a historical moment for My Father’s Shadow is produced by Fatherland Productions, the BAFTA-nominated, Sundance-winning studio founded by Akinola Davies, Funmbi Ogunbanwo, and Wale Davies, Sony Music’s A&R head and manager to Grammy Award-winning artist Tems. Together, the trio are redefining African film, television, and digital content. Fatherland’s most recent narrative short Lizard premiered at  the 2020 BFI London Film  Festival and won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2021  Sundance  Film  Festival. Lizard was also nominated at the just concluded BAFTA 2021 awards and also made the BIFAS Short Film 2020 Longlist.

The selection of My Father’s Shadow is not only a win for Fatherland Productions but also for Nigeria’s burgeoning film industry, which continues to gain global recognition. It underscores the ongoing reforms and advancements within our industry and serves as a powerful reminder of the artistic and technical excellence emerging from Nigeria.

As part of Nigeria’s official presence at Cannes this year, Screen Nigeria will work closely with Fatherland Productions to ensure that the film and its creators maximize this incredible platform. This collective achievement deserves the support of all Nigerians and film enthusiasts as the team embarks on this historic journey. My Father’s Shadow represents a new era for Nigerian cinema. We are no longer just the largest English-speaking film-producing nation or the second-largest global producer of films; we now stand firmly among the world’s best, producing films of exceptional quality, artistry, and technical brilliance.

Nigerian creativity has already dominated globally in music, fashion, and art. Now, with this Cannes selection, our film industry is stepping into the global spotlight, marking a new chapter in our rich cultural history.