Latest news with #AkinolaDaviesJr.
RTÉ News
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Element Pictures claims double win at Cannes Film Festival for second year running
Dublin and London-based film company Element Pictures have won two awards for a second year running at the Cannes Film Festival. The company behind Poor Things and Normal People won awards for Akinola Davies Jr.'s feature debut, My Father's Shadow, and Harry Lighton's feature debut Pillion. Davies Jr. received the Caméra d'Or Special Mention at Saturday night's Cérémonie du Palmarès for his film - the first Nigerian film in Official Selection in the festival's history - and is the first Nigerian Director to be honoured with the award. Lighton was awarded 'Best Screenplay during last night's Un Certain Regard awards ceremony. Hippo the Dachshund, the dog who stars in Pillon, also received a special mention, winning the 'Mutt Moment' award at the Palm Dog contest. The news marks the fourth prestigious win in two years for Element Pictures, with Jesse Plemons winning Best Actor for Kinds Of Kindness and Rungano Nyoni winning 'Best Director' for On Becoming A Guinea Fowl at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024. My Father's Shadow is a semi-autobiographical tale set over the course of a single day in the Nigerian capital Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis and was described as "A thrillingly vital account of the moment when everything changes" by Screen Daily review. Commenting on the award, the film's producer Rachel Dargavel said: "It's hard to express the pride I'm feeling that My Fathers Shadow has received this accolade. "It was made with so much love and energy and with an ambition to create something that resonated on an emotional level with anyone who took the time to watch it. "For it to have been received in this way is all at once so validating of the human spirit and all at once mind blowing - the first Nigerian film in official selection and the first Nigerian Director to be honoured with the Caméra d'Or Special Mention. "Thank you Cannes Film Festival and the Jury for shining a light on our beautiful film, I couldn't be more proud of Akinola." Pillion tells the story of "a timid man (Harry Melling) who is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker (Alexander Skarsgard) takes him on as his submissive". Reacting to the Best Screenplay win, the film's producer Emma Norton notes "This is the most amazing end to a remarkable festival experience. We've all been so blown away by the reception of Pillion and this recognition for Harry's work - from the Un Certain Regard jury - is such an honour. The icing on the cake!"
CNN
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Nigeria marks Cannes Film Festival first with ‘My Father's Shadow' selection
Nigeria is going to Cannes. In what is understood to be a first in the film festival's near-80 year history, a movie from Africa's most populous nation has been chosen as part of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. 'My Father's Shadow,' written and directed by Akinola Davies Jr. and co-written by his brother Wale Davies, stars Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù ('Slow Horses,' 'Gangs of London'). The film is set in Lagos in the aftermath of the 1993 presidential election and follows Dìrísù's father and two sons Remi and Akin, as they attempt an odyssey across the city amid the election's turbulent fallout. Davies Jr.'s semi-autobiographical debut feature, produced by Element Pictures in association with Fatherland Productions and Crybaby, already has strong support in the form of distributor MUBI, which snatched up the rights to the film in North America and other territories long before the news of its Cannes debut was announced – lending additional hype to an already buzzy title. The movie will screen in the Un Certain Regard strand – a competition for debut and ascendant filmmakers. Fatherland says it will be the first Nigerian film to do so. Reacting to the announcement, Davies Jr.' told CNN in a statement, 'This is a testament to everyone dedicated to telling authentic Nigerian stories: from crews, to the countless technicians who power our film industry. 'It honors all those – past, present, and future – who laid the foundation for Nigerian cinema. I'm excited to be an ambassador for arthouse film in Nigeria, and even more excited for our cast and crew, whose talent and hard work truly deserve this spotlight.' Co-producer and founder of Fatherland Productions CEO Funmbi Ogunbanwo told CNN, 'It's an incredible feeling to see our fully Nigerian story – rooted in Wale and Akin's experience of losing their father at a young age – come to life on a world stage. 'We wove in Yoruba, Pidgin, familiar street names from Lagos and Ibadan, capturing the essence of our home. I feel both excitement and a weight of responsibility, representing independent Nigerian filmmakers who create against the odds. We hope people who watch this film will discover who we are as a people, understand where we come from, and see that this is only the start of how far our stories can go.' The Cannes Film Festival announced it had screened 2,909 feature films to curate its 2025 lineup. Of those selected, 'My Father's Shadow' won't be the sole representative from Africa this year. Also in Un Certain Regard is 'Aisha Can't Fly Away' by Egyptian filmmaker Morad Mostafa, about a Somali woman working in Cairo, and 'Promised Sky' by French Tunisian Erige Sehiri. Meanwhile, Swedish director Tarik Saleh, who has Egyptian heritage, is in competition for the Palme d'Or with 'Eagles of the Republic' telling the story of an adored Egyptian actor who falls into disgrace. The US-set 'The History of Sound,' starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor, is directed by South African Oliver Hermanus. African cinema, particularly from Francophone nations, has a long history at Cannes, the world's most prestigious film festival. Directing giants including the late Djibril Diop Mambéty of Senegal, the late Souleymane Cissé of Mali and Chadian Mahamat-Saleh Haroun all made the festival a home from home. Recently, a new guard of young filmmakers has emerged – notably, with more women – including Welsh Zambian Rungano Nyoni, French Senegalese Mati Diop (niece of Djibril), Senegalese director Ramata-Toulaye Sy and Tunisian Kaouther Ben Hania. But despite having the continent's largest and most prolific filmmaking industry, Nigeria has had little representation at the festival. Nigerian productions have appeared in festival sidebars like the International Critics Week (where 'Ezra' by Newton I. Aduaka screened in 2007). But a search of the festival's online archives shows no evidence a Nigerian movie has ever been a part of Cannes' Official Selection – comprising the competition for the Palme d'Or, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Premieres, Special Screenings, Midnight Screenings and Cannes Classics. Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival, said at the press conference announcing the 2025 lineup on April 10 that the festival would be checking to confirm if indeed 'My Father's Shadow' marks a historic first Nigerian feature. Nigeria will have a big presence at Cannes this year. At the festival's international village, Nigeria is back with its own national pavilion. There, the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy will launch Screen Nigeria as part of the 'Destination 2030; Nigeria Everywhere' campaign – a broad plan to create 2 million jobs in creative and tourism industries, and contribute $100 billion to Nigeria's GDP by 2030. The goal is to showcase the nation's talent and promote international collaboration and attract foreign investment. With the likes of 'My Father's Shadow' and other recent festival titles like 'Mami Wata,' the first Nigerian film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023, there are signs that Nigeria's film industry is diversifying. The 78th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 13-24. The premiere date for 'My Father's Shadow,' and its theatrical release date, are yet to be announced.
CNN
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Nigeria marks Cannes Film Festival first with ‘My Father's Shadow' selection
Nigeria is going to Cannes. In what is understood to be a first in the film festival's near-80 year history, a movie from Africa's most populous nation has been chosen as part of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. 'My Father's Shadow,' written and directed by Akinola Davies Jr. and co-written by his brother Wale Davies, stars Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù ('Slow Horses,' 'Gangs of London'). The film is set in Lagos in the aftermath of the 1993 presidential election and follows Dìrísù's father and two sons Remi and Akin, as they attempt an odyssey across the city amid the election's turbulent fallout. Davies Jr.'s semi-autobiographical debut feature, produced by Element Pictures in association with Fatherland Productions and Crybaby, already has strong support in the form of distributor MUBI, which snatched up the rights to the film in North America and other territories long before the news of its Cannes debut was announced – lending additional hype to an already buzzy title. The movie will screen in the Un Certain Regard strand – a competition for debut and ascendant filmmakers. Fatherland says it will be the first Nigerian film to do so. Reacting to the announcement, Davies Jr.' told CNN in a statement, 'This is a testament to everyone dedicated to telling authentic Nigerian stories: from crews, to the countless technicians who power our film industry. 'It honors all those – past, present, and future – who laid the foundation for Nigerian cinema. I'm excited to be an ambassador for arthouse film in Nigeria, and even more excited for our cast and crew, whose talent and hard work truly deserve this spotlight.' Co-producer and founder of Fatherland Productions CEO Funmbi Ogunbanwo told CNN, 'It's an incredible feeling to see our fully Nigerian story – rooted in Wale and Akin's experience of losing their father at a young age – come to life on a world stage. 'We wove in Yoruba, Pidgin, familiar street names from Lagos and Ibadan, capturing the essence of our home. I feel both excitement and a weight of responsibility, representing independent Nigerian filmmakers who create against the odds. We hope people who watch this film will discover who we are as a people, understand where we come from, and see that this is only the start of how far our stories can go.' The Cannes Film Festival announced it had screened 2,909 feature films to curate its 2025 lineup. Of those selected, 'My Father's Shadow' won't be the sole representative from Africa this year. Also in Un Certain Regard is 'Aisha Can't Fly Away' by Egyptian filmmaker Morad Mostafa, about a Somali woman working in Cairo, and 'Promised Sky' by French Tunisian Erige Sehiri. Meanwhile, Swedish director Tarik Saleh, who has Egyptian heritage, is in competition for the Palme d'Or with 'Eagles of the Republic' telling the story of an adored Egyptian actor who falls into disgrace. The US-set 'The History of Sound,' starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor, is directed by South African Oliver Hermanus. African cinema, particularly from Francophone nations, has a long history at Cannes, the world's most prestigious film festival. Directing giants including the late Djibril Diop Mambéty of Senegal, the late Souleymane Cissé of Mali and Chadian Mahamat-Saleh Haroun all made the festival a home from home. Recently, a new guard of young filmmakers has emerged – notably, with more women – including Welsh Zambian Rungano Nyoni, French Senegalese Mati Diop (niece of Djibril), Senegalese director Ramata-Toulaye Sy and Tunisian Kaouther Ben Hania. But despite having the continent's largest and most prolific filmmaking industry, Nigeria has had little representation at the festival. Nigerian productions have appeared in festival sidebars like the International Critics Week (where 'Ezra' by Newton I. Aduaka screened in 2007). But a search of the festival's online archives shows no evidence a Nigerian movie has ever been a part of Cannes' Official Selection – comprising the competition for the Palme d'Or, Un Certain Regard, Cannes Premieres, Special Screenings, Midnight Screenings and Cannes Classics. Thierry Frémaux, general delegate of the festival, said at the press conference announcing the 2025 lineup on April 10 that the festival would be checking to confirm if indeed 'My Father's Shadow' marks a historic first Nigerian feature. Nigeria will have a big presence at Cannes this year. At the festival's international village, Nigeria is back with its own national pavilion. There, the Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy will launch Screen Nigeria as part of the 'Destination 2030; Nigeria Everywhere' campaign – a broad plan to create 2 million jobs in creative and tourism industries, and contribute $100 billion to Nigeria's GDP by 2030. The goal is to showcase the nation's talent and promote international collaboration and attract foreign investment. With the likes of 'My Father's Shadow' and other recent festival titles like 'Mami Wata,' the first Nigerian film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023, there are signs that Nigeria's film industry is diversifying. The 78th Cannes Film Festival runs from May 13-24. The premiere date for 'My Father's Shadow,' and its theatrical release date, are yet to be announced.
