Nigerian and African films addressing African and Nigerian issues by prioritizing artistic expression and creativity over commercial success are darlings at international film festivals and distribution houses, but they are missing on the continent.
Beyond Cannes and Sundance, Nollywood Struggles to Embrace Poetic Cinema
It was in May 2025 that Akinola Davies Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow got the nod as the first Nigerian title to be selected for the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival, and it collected a high-profile Caméra d’Or Special Mention during Un Certain Regard. This semi-autobiographical drama set in Lagos on one frenetic day during the turbulent 1993 presidential election follows two young brothers through a day of turmoil with their estranged father, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù.
Davies, a Sundance prizewinner and BAFTA nominee, has crafted a poignant, visually striking debut that resonates universally while rooted in Nigerian experience.
My Father’s Shadow has established a historic milestone for Nigerian cinema. When it made its debut in Cannes 2025 in the Un Certain Regard section, the film was hailed for its poetic cinema and boisterous portrayal of Lagos, with Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù’s shattering performance across the board. IndieWire highlighted its potential as a UK Oscar contender, with The Guardian labeling it a “standout” for its emotional impact and atmospheric portrayal of a city on the threshold of political upheaval.
The Hollywood Reporter noted its universal father-son narrative, and MUBI’s acquisition for North American and UK theatrical release signals strong global confidence in its appeal. Directed by Akinola Davies Jr., whose short film Lizard won at Sundance and earned a BAFTA nomination, the film was co-produced by Element Pictures and Lagos-based Fatherland Productions, with The Match Factory handling international sales. Its setting for the 1993 Nigerian election gives historical weight, seizing the optimism and tumult of a nation.
Similarly, C.J. Obasi’s Mami Wata, a black-and-white feminist reimagining of West African folklore, captivated global audiences at Sundance 2023, where it won a Special Jury Prize for Cinematography and became Nigeria’s Oscar submission. But even with global acclaim, “Mami Wata” experienced short theatrical engagements in Nigeria as reported, which portrays a divergence between appreciation from around the world and acceptance in Nigeria.
Mami Wata by C.J. Obasi has accelerated the global prestige of Nigerian film. Premiered at Sundance 2023, it was the first to screen there, taking a Special Jury Prize for Lílis Soares’ dramatic black-and-white photography. The film, a feminist retelling of a water spirit myth, referenced tradition, contemporary times, and female empowerment and resonated with global audiences.
Being chosen as Nigeria’s entry into the 2023 Oscars under the Best International Feature film category helped raise its profile, even though it failed to be nominated. Critics were singing the praises of its bold appearances and cultural depth, with festivals like Berlinale and FESPACO further raising the stakes. But Mami Wata grappled, at least by report, with distribution and censorship limits in Nigeria, highlighting a fault line between local market demand for commercial Nollywood products and the festival arthouse tastes of the global sphere.
While Nigerian cinema enjoys unprecedented world attention, there is one key disturbing question: Will Nigeria honor and love the same boundary-pushing, auteur-driven films that the world is honoring?
My Father’s Shadow and Mami Wata are harbingers of a new crop of Nigerian filmmakers scripting non-commercial, art-laden stories bucking the rules of mainstream Nollywood. Directors like Davies and Obasi, and the likes of Abba T. Makama, Taiwo Egunjobi, Kemi Adetiba, Funke Akindele, Babatunde Apalowo, Jáde Osiberu, and Kunle Afolayan, are redefining Nigerian filmmaking with visually ambitious, thematically rich films. Their breakthroughs at Cannes, Sundance, and beyond are a testament to a growing hunger all over the globe for African stories told with integrity and artistry. But the relatively low local reception for films like Mami Wata raises questions regarding support for independent filmmaking, audience acceptance, and infrastructure in Nigeria even as these directors make overseas awards.
When C.J “Fiery” Obasi’s Mami Wata landed in Nigerian cinemas, it was given an outcast treatment. After winning a technical category at the Sundance Film Festival, eliciting glowing responses and attracting distribution deals across the world, it was not expected that FilmOne, the Nigerian distributor and exhibitor, would give the film a lukewarm reception. In sharp contrast to other international distributors, it was alleged that FilmOne didn’t pull the same marketing muscle these distributors pulled. Press screenings, premiere, billboard advertisement and social media marketing weren’t done by FilmOne.
Obasi and his producer, Oge Obasi, supposedly had to carry this weight. This aside, there were numerous complaints, from Nigerians, about unfavorable showtimes, abrupt removal, technically-bereft screens and unhealthy showrooms. As the history of art-house and niche films have shown in Nigeria, Eyimofe, Confusion Na Wa, The Meeting, Juju Stories, it appears there is a targeted attempt to sabotage the success of these supposed indie films. And as Davies’ film might come to Nigerian cinema, one can only be skeptical of the kind of reception Nigerian distributors and cinema operators will give it.
It’s important to state that this distribution challenge faced by festival successful and acclaimed Nigerian films isn’t a unique Nigerian problem. Three decades ago, Ousmane Sembene had in an interview spoken about the absence of distribution infrastructure for successful African films. In that interview with Ecrans d’Afrique, in 1995, Semebene reflected on the struggles faced by African film producers in sustaining a national cinema and this challenge is still present today. In that year, similar to Nigeria’s unprecedented presence at Cannes, there were a large number of African films at Cannes, but Sembene, the always clear and thoughtful filmmaker, wasn’t convinced this international success will be replicated in Africa.
As a result, Sembene said: “Our film industry is being organized through the French speaking community. Is it not time for us to draw the attention of the young [filmmakers] to think about what they can do to help distribute our films, especially in our countries for the benefit of our public? The presence of our films at Cannes is a good thing. It’s the first good advertisement at Cannes in 20 years. The public gathered there is not found anywhere else. However, Cannes is a “flash in the pan.” Once Cannes is over, African films are no longer exhibited.”
As explained by Semebene, this challenge presents a situation where African films, in this case Nigerian films, get international recognition but aren’t available to watch on the continent or in the filmmakers’ home country. Painfully, Nigerian and African films addressing African and Nigerian issues are present at international film festivals and distribution houses but are missing on the continent. Thus, while accounting for the coordinated attack on Nigerian-independently made titles, a complete conversation won’t be had unless we addressed the distribution challenges on the continent.
The Nigerian film market has, over the decades, compelled Nigerian audiences to love and droll over one kind of film. At a certain point, if it wasn’t the most intellectually debasing or generic comedy film, Nigerian film distributors and exhibitors will have us believe that the Nigerian audience won’t watch it. Kemi Adetiba’s King of Boys broke this formulaic thinking. Now, Nollywood is exploring its epic films.
This exploration isn’t bad in itself. For an industry still finding its footing, as many voices, stories and genres should be explored. The issue is when film exhibitors and cinema operators, who are audience taste builders, consciously enforces a certain kind of film on audiences. This means that, as a Nigerian, if your film interest doesn’t fit into the narrow perception of a successful Nigerian film, Nigerian cinema isn’t for you. This has been the case for a lot of Nigerian cinephiles interested in watching films not just for its immediate entertainment values but for cultural, intellectual and political pleasure.
It’s disheartening but that’s the reality of the conscious film critic, art-conscious filmmakers and audiences. These sets of people don’t feel represented by mainstream Nollywood. And maybe that’s okay. Implicitly, it makes a case for the need for alternative spaces and community for the exhibition and distribution of Nigerian indie or art-house films.
One such space is the annual S16 Film Festival co-founded by Obasi, Michael Omonua, and Abba T. Makama. Others are the Annual Film Mischief and Ibadan Indie Awards (IFA). These festivals are painstakingly dedicated to spotlighting Nigerian and African indie voices. By curating films and conversations, these festivals act as haven for the conflicted young Nigerian indie filmmaker.
For exhibition and distribution of films, there are physical film clubs springing up in the country from Lagos, Enugu, Ibadan to Abuja fiercely dedicated to Nigerian indie films and filmmakers. Thus, even when mainstream Nollywood has been monopolized by singular and formulaic stories, the Nigerian audience interested in watching films like My Father’s Shadow, Mami Wata, Juju Stories, Eyimofe and others can be sure of alternative spaces. How financially sustainable these spaces will be for the Nigerian indie filmmaker is another conversation.
Despite the bleak distribution and exhibition situation at home, streaming platforms and distribution channels like MUBI, Criterion Collection, Prime Video, Netflix and others have made it possible for Nigerian filmmakers to share their stories globally. The Esiri brothers’ Eyimofe is the sole Nigerian film on the Criterion Collection further strengthening the film’s international acclaim. As this essay has highlighted, Nollywood is yet to figure out a financially sustainable distribution module for itself. This makes it additionally hard for art-house and “indie” films like My Father Shadows, Mami Wata, The Meeting, Confusion Na Wa and others to fairly thrive.
As the film industry and indie filmmakers slouch through the uncertainties of filmmaking and distribution challenges in Nigeria, it isn’t certain that Nollywood in the next decade will evolve to warmly welcome both commercial blockbusters and artistic introspection into its embrace. But, with Obasi, Esiri brothers, Makama, Orimogunje and other independent filmmakers’ local and international strides, the possibility of that happening is assured.