Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù Is A Struggling Father In My Father’s Shadow Trailer

It’s been a great week for Akinola Davies Jr. and his debut feature My Father’s Shadow. MUBI have released the UK Trailer for the award winning film.

Starring Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (Slow Horses, Gangs Of London) and introducing Godwin Egbo and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo, My Father’s Shadow won the Best Director Prize for Akinola Davies Jr. (Lizard) at the 2025 British Independent Film Awards, Breakthrough Director Award for Davies Jr. and Outstanding Lead Performance for Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù at the 2025 Gotham Awards and has been chosen as U.K.’s Academy-Award® submission for Best International Feature Film.

My Father’s Shadow takes us back to the 1993 Nigerian election unrest. A father takes his estranged sons across city of Lagos, a crisis that threatens their journey home.

Sean Wilson watched the film for us at BFI London Film Festival. Sean said “Davies Jr.’s ability to take us inside this landscape, one riven with terror and empathy in equal measure, ensures that My Father’s Shadow remains a gripping watch throughout“.
SUPPORT US!!! WE ARE A SMALL, INDEPENDENT FILM WEBSITE WITH NO BIG BACKERS, SO IF YOU LOVE OUR SITE AND OUR WRITERS, PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING US TO KEEP FILM JOURNALISM ALIVE!
Synopsis | A semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian metropolis 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 set for release in UK and Irish cinemas from 6th February 2026.