Fatherland Productions, in association with Element Pictures and Crybaby, proudly announces that MY FATHER’S SHADOW, the debut feature from Akinola Davies Jr, has been officially selected to compete at the 78th edition of the prestigious Festival de Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section, which champions bold, visionary, and original voices in international cinema.

Akinola Davies Jr. becomes the first Nigerian director to bring a Nigerian-set fiction feature into Cannes’ official selection. Previous milestones include Newton Aduaka’s Ezra (Critics’ week 2007), directed by a Nigerian but set in Sierra Leone, and Boris Lojkine’s Hope (Critics’ week 2014), centered on a Nigerian character but centered on a French filmmaker. Both were part of
Critics’ week, an independent sidebar – not the official selection.

Speaking about what it means to represent Nigeria, Nigerian cinema at Cannes, and the significance of their historic “first”—Director Akinola Davies Jr. shared:
“This is a testament to everyone dedicated to telling authentic Nigerian stories: from crews, to the countless technicians who power our film industry. It honors all those—past, present, and future—who laid the foundation for Nigerian cinema. I’m excited to be an ambassador for arthouse film in Nigeria, and even more excited for our cast and crew, whose talent and hard work truly deserve this spotlight.”