If you’re an average moviegoer, you probably only think about the Oscars when nominations are announced. But for me, who has religiously followed the award show since Gladiator won ‘Best Picture’ in 2000, it’s a year-round event. That’s why I’m doing this too-early evaluation of Nigeria’s chances of making it into next year’s ‘Best International Feature Film’ lineup.
Since 2019, Nigeria has submitted four films for Oscar consideration in the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category, but none have made it to the 15-film shortlist that precedes the nominations. However, with My Father’s Shadow, directed by the gifted Akinola Davies Jr., my hopes for that changing are higher than ever.
My excitement comes with some bias: My Father’s Shadow easily tops my list of most anticipated films of 2025 (the director’s 2020 short film Lizard is excellent). But a few Oscar pundits seem to share my optimism, with Next Best Picture, a trusted awards season forecaster, highlighting the film’s prospects in two categories: ‘Best Supporting Actor’ for Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù and ‘Best International Feature Film.’
What makes My Father’s Shadow Oscar-ready?
Recently premiering as the first Nigerian feature film screened at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, a reliable springboard for Oscar hopefuls, My Father’s Shadow already has the kind of history-making buzz that keeps films in the conversation.
Set against the tense backdrop of the 1993 Nigerian elections, and filmed entirely in Lagos and Ibadan, My Father’s Shadow tells a deeply personal story of two brothers (played by newcomers, Godwin Egbo and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo) navigating a complicated relationship with their estranged father (played by a stellar Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù)
In addition to rave reviews (a Metacritic score of 85/100 makes it one of the best-reviewed films of 2025 so far), My Father’s Shadow also left Cannes with a Special Mention for the Caméra d’Or, further boosting its international profile.
Dan Bayer, an Oscar pundit and writer for Next Best Picture, gave the film an 8 in his review, calling it a “triumph.” Commenting on its Oscar chances, he told Zikoko, “I think My Father’s Shadow is certainly good enough to contend for a nomination, especially with Mubi distributing it.”
Bayer’s biggest concern is about the movie, which primarily features dialogue in Yoruba, Pidgin, and English, meeting the Academy’s requirement that more than 50% of its spoken dialogue be in languages other than English. “Based on the general reception from Cannes and how well it played when I saw it, my gut instinct says it’s in if it meets the language requirements,” he concluded.
What needs to happen next?
With global distribution already secured through Mubi — the distributors of 2024’s Oscar darling, The Substance — My Father’s Shadow is well-positioned to get a proper campaign push if chosen as Nigeria’s official submission by the Nigerian Oscar Selection Committee (NOSC).
This is one of many hurdles the film will face, though, as this process has historically sparked drama and debate within Nigeria’s film community. Past choices have been controversial, with critics arguing about which films best represent Nigerian cinema to an international audience.
There has also been internal drama within the committee. For the 2022 Oscars, the NOSC reviewed three Yoruba-language films — Aníkúlápó, Elesin Oba, and King of Thieves — only to have a majority (8 of 15) vote that ‘no film is eligible.’ This led to resignations, committee backlash, and an Academy-granted revote, which ended up yielding the exact same result.
So far, Nigeria has only submitted four films for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category at the Oscars.
- Lionheart (2019): Directed by Genevieve Nnaji; disqualified for being predominantly in English (which led to pidgin English being included as a foreign language at the Oscars).
- The Milkmaid (2020): Hausa-language drama directed by Desmond Ovbiagele; submitted but didn’t make the shortlist.
- Mami Wata (2023): Directed by C.J. Obasi in Pidgin English; submitted but didn’t make the shortlist.
- Mai Martaba (2024): Hausa-language film directed by Prince Daniel Aboki; submitted but didn’t make the shortlist.
This year, My Father’s Shadow feels like a no-brainer pick, given its critical acclaim and international attention. If chosen, I think it stands a real chance of finally ending the streak and putting Nigeria on the Oscars stage, further opening doors for Nigerian cinema.
How can you watch My Father’s Shadow in Nigeria?
Ahead of its Cannes premiere, Mubi acquired global distribution rights to My Father’s Shadow, securing releases in North America, the UK, Ireland, and Turkey. However, there’s still no word on when it will release in Nigeria.
Given Mubi’s footprint in over 190 countries, including Nigeria, an expansion of rights to local streaming or cinemas remains a strong possibility, but it is still pending official announcement.
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