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Last night, Lagos deed a caller cinematic milestone arsenic My Father’s Shadow premiered successful Nigeria up of its nationwide merchandise connected September 19, 2025, by FilmOne Distributions
The event, held astatine Filmhouse Cinemas IMAX, drew an assemblage of filmmakers, actors, taste leaders, manufacture executives, exhibitors and media, who celebrated the film’s homecoming aft already making past astir the world. My Father’s Shadow was the archetypal Nigerian movie to beryllium selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection (Un Certain Regard) earlier this year, and it received the Caméra d’Or Special Mention for champion debut feature.
Set connected June 23, 1993, the time Nigeria’s antiauthoritarian hopes were dashed with the annulment of the June 12 election, the movie follows 2 brothers arsenic they question astir Lagos with their estranged father. Producer Wale Davies primitively wrote the publication for a abbreviated film, but it was aboriginal expanded into a diagnostic alongside his brother, acclaimed filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr, culminating successful a profoundly idiosyncratic yet cosmopolitan depiction of fatherhood, identity, and nationalist memory.
At the premiere, manager Akinola Davies Jr said, “I anticipation that audiences volition subordinate to the aforesaid things I emotion successful the movie – the family, politics, spirituality, and the psychology: trying to navigate each of these aspects successful a mid-nineties Nigerian play play is what helps marque this movie unique. We’ve tried to marque thing that is accessible truthful that erstwhile radical ticker it, they spot a reflection of themselves and experiences that they are acquainted with.’
Funmbi Ogunbanwo, shaper and CEO of Fatherland, added, “I americium excited for audiences to spot Lagos portrayed successful this way. Audiences volition bask the affluent tapestry of Nigeria, our radical and our language. They volition consciousness the bushed and the dependable of Lagos – the size of Lagos. The travel of these boys with their begetter done this metropolis yet culminates successful this affluent acquisition of family.’
Ladun Awobokun (Chief Content Officer, FilmOne Entertainment) said, “At FilmOne, our precedence is to place and champion contented that is some artistically almighty and culturally relevant. My Father’s Shadow is simply a profoundly authentic communicative that resonates with our corporate experience, and bringing it to cinemas crossed West Africa ensures that audiences astatine location link with the aforesaid communicative that has captivated the world.”
Kene Okwuosa (Group CEO, Filmhouse Group) besides added, “My Father’s Shadow has received singular designation connected the planetary stage, and we judge it is important that audiences successful Nigeria, Ghana, and Liberia besides stock successful this landmark achievement. Our determination to administer the movie crossed these territories reflects our committedness to showcasing African stories astatine the highest level, not conscionable globally but wrong our ain region.”
The premiere highlighted the film’s singular starring performances, including Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù arsenic Folarin. It besides introduced audiences to first-time actors Chibuike Marvellous Egbo and Godwin Egbo, who were discovered done a Lagos thoroughfare casting campaign. The movie was changeable wholly successful Nigeria, with a formed and shooting unit that was implicit 80% Nigerian, boosting the section originative economy.
English (US) ·