From Nigerian roots to the Oscars stage, My Father’s Shadow is rewriting the story of African cinema

A quiet revolution is unfolding in global cinema, and at the center of it stands My Father’s Shadow, the hauntingly poetic feature directed by Akinola Davies Jr. The film, rooted in Nigerian soil yet reaching across continents, has been selected to compete at the 98th Academy Awards ,a milestone moment for African storytelling and the evolution of Nigerian film culture.

Set in Nigeria and brought to life by a majority Nigerian cast and crew, My Father’s Shadow is not just a story , it is an experience carved from memory, myth, and multi-generational truths. The film follows a young protagonist navigating the complex inheritance of identity, family, and tradition, caught between the weight of ancestry and the fragile promise of self-definition. Through Davies’ lens, the ordinary becomes sublime, and the wounds of the past breathe into the present with mystical tenderness.

While deeply Nigerian in tone, language, and soul, the film also represents the power of collaboration beyond borders. Financed through UK partners as a British-Nigerian co-production, it was submitted by the United Kingdom to compete for Best International Feature Film, a move that underscores cinema’s increasingly fluid and global spirit. In a world where stories transcend geography, the film’s journey to the Oscars challenges the notion that national identity in filmmaking must fit neat categories, instead, it affirms that authenticity travels.

The recognition did not begin in Hollywood. Back in May, My Father’s Shadow etched its name into history by becoming the first film from Nigeria to debut at the Cannes Film Festival as part of its official selection. That moment announced a cultural shift: Nigerian stories, long rich and resonant, are no longer on the periphery of world cinema, they are shaping its future.

Davies, known for his introspective and visually immersive approach, brings a rare stillness and intensity to storytelling. His work often explores the spiritual and psychological tensions of African existence in a rapidly modernizing world. With My Father’s Shadow, he has created not merely a film, but an emotional tapestry, one that speaks to the quiet power of memory, the ghosts we inherit, and the shadows that make us whole.

This moment matters far beyond awards. It signals the global rise of African creative voices, the maturity of Nigeria’s cinematic language, and the growing visibility of stories told from within rather than about the continent. It honors the artists working tirelessly behind the scenes, the cinematographers capturing the beauty of home, the actors breathing life into layered narratives, and the communities whose lived experiences shape the art.

If the Oscars are a stage, then My Father’s Shadow stands upon it not just as a film, but as a testament that Nigerian cinema is entering a bold, transformative era, one defined by depth, innovation, and unapologetic truth-telling.

The world is watching. And the world is finally listening.

As the Awards draw closer, one thing is already clear: this achievement is not simply about competition or trophies. It is about visibility, legacy, and an enduring truth whispered through Davies’ vision, that the stories of home, told with courage and care, possess a universal heartbeat.