Winner of the 2026 BAFTA award for Outstanding Debut Feature, Akinola Davis Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow is a poetic, tender portrait of father-son bonds. Framed by the political landscape of 1993 Lagos, the film follows a father and his two young sons as they journey into and around the vibrantly rendered Nigerian metropolis, quietly reckoning with their relationship while navigating a city on the precipice of democratic crisis. Anchored by an award-winning performance from Sopé Dìrísù (Slow Horses, Gangs of London), the film reveals the profound depths of what families leave unspoken.

Learn more about this film festival darling in JBFC Film Programmer Ian LoCascio’s My Father’s Shadow Preview Club Wrap-Up on the JBFC Blog.