For the first time in the nearly 80-year history of the Cannes Film Festival, My Father’s Shadow, a Nigerian film, has landed a coveted spot in the Official Selection, marking a major milestone for Africa’s most populous nation and its booming film industry.
The film, My Father’s Shadow, is a deeply personal, semi-autobiographical debut from British-Nigerian director Akinola Davies Jr., who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother, Wale Davies. Starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (Gangs of London, Slow Horses), the drama is set in Lagos following the controversial 1993 Nigerian presidential election.
The story follows a father and his two sons as they navigate the city’s charged and chaotic atmosphere in the aftermath of political upheaval.
The film will screen in the Un Certain Regard category — a prestigious section dedicated to emerging voices and bold storytelling. If confirmed by festival archivists, My Father’s Shadow will be the first-ever Nigerian feature to earn this recognition within Cannes’ Official Selection.
Produced by Element Pictures in collaboration with Fatherland Productions and Crybaby, My Father’s Shadow has already generated major buzz. Long before the Cannes announcement, streaming platform MUBI acquired distribution rights for North America and several other territories — a sign of the film’s early promise.
In a statement to CNN, Davies Jr. called the film’s selection a “testament to everyone dedicated to telling authentic Nigerian stories, “And a celebration of the technicians, crews, and creatives who continue to shape the nation’s cinematic identity.
“I’m excited to be an ambassador for arthouse film in Nigeria,” he added, “and even more excited for our cast and crew, whose talent and hard work truly deserve this spotlight.”
Funmbi Ogunbanwo, co-producer and founder of Fatherland Productions, echoed that sentiment. “We wove in Yoruba, Pidgin, and the street names of Lagos and Ibadan — capturing the essence of our home,” she said. “I feel both excitement and a weight of responsibility, representing Nigerian filmmakers who create against the odds.”
Nigeria’s breakthrough is part of a wider African presence at this year’s festival. Also competing in Un Certain Regard are Egyptian filmmaker Morad Mostafa’s Aisha Can’t Fly Away and Promised Sky by French-Tunisian director Erige Sehiri. Egyptian-Swedish filmmaker Tarik Saleh is in the running for the coveted Palme d’Or with Eagles of the Republic, while South African director Oliver Hermanus brings The History of Sound to Cannes, starring Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor.
Though Francophone Africa has long held a seat at the Cannes table, Nigeria, despite housing Africa’s largest and most prolific film industry, has been notably absent from the main selection categories. Previous Nigerian entries have appeared in parallel events such as Critics’ Week, with Newton I. Aduaka’s Ezra screening in 2007. But this year’s spotlight signals a turning tide.
Nigeria isn’t stopping at just a film screening. The country is returning to the Cannes International Village with a national pavilion, hosted by the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy.
There, it will unveil Screen Nigeria, a key part of its ambitious “Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere” initiative — a strategic push to generate 2 million jobs in the creative and tourism sectors and inject $100 billion into the economy by 2030.
This bold plan underscores Nigeria’s broader goal: to position itself as a global creative powerhouse and forge lasting international partnerships.
With recent international acclaim for films like Mami Wata — the first Nigerian feature to premiere at Sundance — the country’s cinematic evolution is unmistakable. The Cannes debut of My Father’s Shadow may mark a historic first, but it’s also a sign of things to come.
The 78th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 13 to 24. A premiere date for My Father’s Shadow is expected to be announced soon.
