Check out the first image from My Father’s Shadow, starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù and directed by Akinola Davies Jnr.

The First look has been revealed for Akinola Davies Jnr.’s eagerly awaited directorial debut, My Father’s Shadow, starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (His House, Gangs Of London), which is set to premiere at Cannes Film Festival.

A semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian capital Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis. The story follows a father, estranged from his two young sons, as they travel through the massive city while political unrest threatens their journey home.

MY FATHER’S SHADOW is an Element Pictures production in association with Crybaby and Fatherland Productions. Based on a script by Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jnr, whose previous collaboration on Lizard won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2021 and garnered a BAFTA nomination for Best British Short Film.

MY FATHER’S SHADOW was developed by BBC Film, who previously backed Lizard, and was co-financed by BBC Film and the BFI (awarding National Lottery funding). The Match Factory is handling worldwide sales. MUBI pre-bought all rights in North America, UK, Ireland, and Turkey. The distributor’s theatrical plans will be announced for North America and UK/Ireland in the coming months.

“Bringing My Fathers Shadow to life in my home country, a story which is so personal to me and my brother Wale, who wrote the script, but one that I also hope will resonate with many, has been beyond a dream. Working with the powerhouse that is Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, who brought such magic to his character and has taken the script to a whole new level, has been an incredible experience. All of which has been made possible through the unwavering support of Eva Yates at BBC Film, Ama Ampadu at the BFI and my producers Rachel Dargavel at Element Pictures and Funmbi Ogunbanwo at Fatherland Productions. I’m excited to share with you the part of my home and the city I grew up in that is rarely seen on screen.” said Akinola Davies Jnr.

MY FATHER’S SHADOW is produced by Rachel Dargavel for Element Pictures and Funmbi Ogunbanwo for Fatherland Productions, who also serviced production on the ground. Executive Producers are Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe for Element Pictures, Eva Yates for BBC Film and Ama Amapadu for the BFI. Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Wale Davies and Akinola Davies Jnr also act as executive producers. It is presented by BBC Film and BFI, in association with the Match Factory, Fremantle, Electric Theatre Collective and MUBI, an Element Pictures production in association with Crybaby and Fatherland.

Dìrísù’s upcoming projects include Season 3 of Gangs of London, and performances of Rhinoceros at the Almeida Theater. Dìrísù is repped by Markham, Froggatt and Irwin in the UK, and in the US is WME and Narrative. Davies is repped by Lark Management in the UK.