My Father's Shadow

Nominated for BAFTA Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

Winner of the Best Director Award at the 2025 BIFAs and the Caméra d’Or Special Mention at Cannes, Akinola Davis Jr.‘s MY FATHER’S SHADOW is a poetic, tender portrait of father–son bonds. Framed by the political landscape of 1993 Lagos, the film follows a father and his two young sons as they journey into and around the vibrantly rendered Nigerian metropolis, quietly reckoning with their relationship while navigating a city on the precipice of democratic crisis. Brothers and collaborators Akinola Davis Jr. and Wale Davies bring us a groundbreaking feature debut – centering an award-winning performance by Sopé Dìrísù (Slow Horses, Gangs of London) – that reveals the profound depths of what families leave unspoken.

★★★★ – “A bold new voice is born” – Time Out

★★★★ – “Rich, heartfelt and rewarding” – The Guardian

★★★★ – Financial Times

★★★★ – Empire

★★★★ – Little White Lies

★★★★ – The Times