British-Nigerian filmmaker, artist, and storyteller, Akinola Davies Jr has achieved a historic career milestone as his directorial feature debut, “My Father’s Shadow,” has been officially selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard category at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. Running from May 13 to May 24, 2025, the film has become the first Nigerian film to be screened and selected at the festival.
Davies Jr also becomes the first Nigerian director to compete in the Un Certain Regard category using a Nigerian-set masterpiece.
Co-written with his brother Wole Davies, the BAFTA-nominated filmmaker’s work was announced at the official lineup of the annual Cannes Film Festival by Cannes President Iris Knobloch and Artistic Director Thierry Frémaux on Apr. 10.
“My Father’s Shadow” is set in Lagos during Nigeria’s pivotal 1993 presidential election. Two young brothers, Remi and Akin, spend a day with their estranged father, Folarin, in the bustling city and witness his daily struggles amidst escalating political unrest.
The film faces stiff competition in the Un Certain Regard section, including actor Harris Dickinson’s directorial debut “Urchin,” and “Eleanor The Great”—the first feature film directed by Academy Award-nominated actress Scarlett Johansson. Last year’s award for Best Director in the category was claimed by Rungano Nyoni for her acclaimed black comedy-drama “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.”
The Cannes Film Festival has established itself as a launching pad for many acclaimed films that later received Oscar nominations for Best Picture. Notable examples include Sean Baker’s five-time Oscar winner, “Anora,” Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall,” Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness,” and Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez.”
Other highly-anticipated films that will be shown at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival include Christopher McQuarrie’s “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme,” Ari Aster’s “Eddington,” and Spike Lee’s “Highest to Lowest.”
Robert de Niro will receive an honorary Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement during the opening ceremony.
More films will be added to the Cannes lineup in the coming days.