NOLLYWOOD, Nigeria’s prolific film industry, has reached a defining milestone — its first official screening at the Cannes Film Festival. On Sunday, My Father’s Shadow, directed by Akinola Davies, premiered in the prestigious programme, marking a major step forward for Nigerian cinema on the global stage.
The film, a semi-autobiographical drama set during Nigeria’s 1993 political crisis, has become the first Nollywood production to be screened in an official slot at Cannes, often regarded as the pinnacle of arthouse film recognition.
Speaking to AFP, Prince Baba Agba, cultural advisor to President Bola Tinubu, said the selection ‘shows that Nigerian cinema has come of age’. For an industry once defined by fast-paced, low-budget productions, the moment signals a growing appetite for more refined, globally resonant stories.
Capturing a pivotal moment in Nigerian history
Davies’ My Father’s Shadow follows two young boys as they trail their father through the streets of Lagos during the annulled elections and subsequent military coup that led to General Sani Abacha’s rise. Featuring British-Nigerian actor Sope Dirisu, the film explores the emotional aftermath of a ‘lost democratic chance’, with Davies saying the moment still defines a generation.
‘It was a moment when the rug was pulled away and everyone’s dreams were taken,’ he told AFP.
Nollywood’s global leap
Long celebrated across Africa for its relatable stories of love, faith, corruption and tradition — often filmed on tight budgets and fast turnarounds — Nollywood is now gaining international traction. According to Agba, the outdated image of ‘home video’ filmmaking is being overtaken by a new generation of talent producing high-quality, globally competitive films.
‘We’re still making a massive number of films — from $10,000 budgets to million-dollar productions — all telling unique stories with the soul of Nigeria,’ he said.
Recent successes include Editi Effiong’s The Black Book, which topped Netflix’s global charts last year, and Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), now featured in the Criterion Collection. Agba also cited Shine Your Eyes, a critical hit at the Berlin Film Festival, as evidence of the industry’s growing prestige.
Streaming, policy and the path forward
Government support could soon turbocharge that momentum. Nigeria’s parliament is considering new tax incentives for filmmakers, aimed at attracting international co-productions and boosting exports through streaming platforms.
Netflix picked up several Nollywood titles during the pandemic, including Blood Sisters, Man of God, and the musical Ayinla, while the Muslim north’s ‘Kannywood’ scene also flourished through mobile-first platforms.
Yet challenges remain. Amazon exited its African operations last year, and industry sources told AFP that Netflix has slowed investment in the region. However, local giants like Ebonylife Group, led by media mogul Mo Abudu, are stepping in. Abudu plans to launch a new streaming platform and open a Nigerian cultural centre in London later this year.
‘We will start small and build. We can’t keep waiting on everyone else,’ she told AFP.
Cinema access, tech gaps remain hurdles
Agba acknowledged that infrastructure remains a hurdle, noting that most Nigerians still watch films on mobile phones due to a lack of cinemas. ‘We hope to double our screens to 300. Brazil, with a similar population, has over 3,000,’ he said.
Despite these constraints, Nollywood — alongside Afrobeats — is now Nigeria’s most powerful tool of cultural diplomacy. Its influence was underscored on the eve of Cannes when The Hollywood Reporter named Mo Abudu the most influential woman in international film.
With My Father’s Shadow lighting up Cannes, it appears Nollywood is finally being taken seriously — not just by its fans, but by the global film elite.
