Cannes Today, BAFTAs Tomorrow: My Father’s Shadow's Incredible Run

My Father’s Shadow announcement as the winner of Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards was not a shock, but rather a culmination.

At London’s Royal Festival Hall, the award was presented by the renowned actor Ethan Hawke. Wale Davies spoke first, dedicating the win to his late father, Akinola Davies Sr., and to his daughter, whom he described as the love of his life. 

Akinola Davies Jr. followed with thanks to fellow nominees, collaborators and supporters who carried the project from idea to screen. He also dedicated the award to migrants and to people facing genocide, urging audiences to “archive your loved ones. Archive your stories yesterday, today, and forever. For Nigeria, for London, the Congo, Sudan, free Palestine.”

As personal as the moment was, it was also a professional validation, as the BAFTA win is not a breakout in isolation, but the latest milestone in a run that began in 2025.

In May 2025, My Father’s Shadow made history as the first Nigerian film selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection in the Un Certain Regard section. The film went on to receive a Caméra d’Or Special Distinction, positioning Akinola Davies Jr. as one of the most promising new directors to emerge from the UK-Nigeria corridor.

From Cannes, the film moved steadily through the international circuit. It had its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025 before opening in Nigerian cinemas later that month. In November, it screened in competition at the International Film Festival of India, where it won the Silver Peacock Special Jury Award.

The accolades continued. The film picked up a British Independent Film Award and two Gotham Independent Film Awards, including Breakthrough Director for Davies Jr. It also received 12 nominations at the BIFAs, underlining broad industry support.

Although selected as the United Kingdom’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards, it did not secure an Oscar nomination. Still, the submission itself signalled institutional confidence in the film’s global reach.

By the time the BAFTAs arrived, the narrative was already clear that this film was not a one-festival wonder.

Set in Lagos in 1993 against the backdrop of Nigeria’s historic and ultimately annulled presidential election, the film follows two young brothers who spend a day navigating the city with their estranged father. Political uncertainty hums in the background, but the emotional core is a family trying to bridge the distance in a single day.

Real-life brothers Godwin and Chibuike Egbo being cast as siblings, saw their performances unforced and grounded in small gestures. Sope Dirisu anchors the film with a commanding portrayal of the father, who did a good job of balancing authority with vulnerability, even though his own world was coming down around him.

Critics responded strongly. The film holds a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with many reviews praising its ability to weave political tension with deeply personal storytelling. 

The balance the film managed to display has sat well with award bodies. Though the story is specific to Nigeria in 1993, its themes, fatherhood, loss, boyhood, and disillusionment, are universal.

Akinola Davies Jr. directed the film from a script he co-wrote with Wale Davies. The idea was developed over more than a decade, inspired by the loss of their father when they were young. Wale wrote the first draft in 2012, centring it on two brothers spending a pivotal day with their father during a defining political moment.

Produced by Element Pictures in association with Crybaby and Fatherland Productions, the film was developed by BBC Film and co-financed by the BFI. Funmbi Ogunbanwo produced for Fatherland Productions, a studio increasingly associated with stories that celebrate the Nigerian identity.

At the BAFTAs, Akinola publicly acknowledged Wale’s role not just as co-writer but as a steady presence throughout the process, calling him his “father figure”. 

My Father’s Shadow has also moved through global institutions without losing sight of its origins, with the movie celebrating its core at every chance it gets. 

For Nigerian audiences who watched it first in local cinemas, the BAFTA win may feel like international confirmation of what was already clear. The film began as a personal act of remembrance, and has ended, at least for now, as one of the most decorated Nigerian-linked films of its generation.

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