My Father's Shadow is a 2025 drama film directed by Akinola Davies Jr., in his feature length film debut, from a screenplay he co-wrote with his brother Wale Davies. Starring Sope Dirisu, it follows a family reunion during the 1993 Nigerian election.[3][4]
The film had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May,[5] where it won the Special Mention for the Caméra d'Or. It is the first ever Nigerian film to be selected for the festival's Official Selection.[6] It was theatrically released in Nigeria on 19 September by FilmOne Entertainment.
The film is produced by Element Pictures and directed by Akinola Davies Jr. from a script he co-wrote with Wale Davies. It is produced in association with Crybaby and Fatherland Productions. It was developed by BBC Film, who were a co-financer, and the BFI. Producers are Rachel Dargavel for Element Pictures and Funmbi Ogunbanwo for Fatherland Productions.[9]
The Davies brothers developed the idea for the film over more than a decade, drawing inspiration from the loss of their father when they were both very young. In 2012, Wale wrote the first draft of the script, which centers on two brothers spending a day in Lagos with their father on the day of Nigeria's historic 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as a turning point in the nation’s contemporary history.[10]
The streaming service Mubi acquired distribution rights for North America, the U.K., Ireland, and Turkey in February 2025.[4] The film is set to be released in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 6 February 2026.[14]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
