Creative Industry
For the First Time in 78 Years, a Nigerian Movie—‘My Father’s Shadow’—Gets Cannes Nomination
..As Minister Celebrates Akinola Davies
Joel Ajayi
The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy Barrister Hannatu Musa Musawa has congratulated Nigeria’s film director Akinola Davies Jr. for scripting and directing Nigeria’s first movie ever to make it to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in nearly 80years.
‘My Father’s Shadow’, set in Lagos in the aftermath of the 1993 Presidential election was officially announced on Thursday by organizers to compete at the prestigious Cannes Film festival billed for May 13- 24, 2025.
The movie will screen at the ‘Un Certain Regard’ strand, a prominent section within the Cannes Film Festival’s official selection that showcases films by new talents, ascendant producers and international cinema.
Minister Musawa expressed her excitement for the selection, congratulating the cast, crew, and creative team behind ‘My Father’s Shadow’. She stated that the achievement is a landmark moment for Nigerian cinema and storytelling, showcasing the richness of Nigerian stories, the depth of artistic talent, and the beauty of cultural identity.
“This momentous achievement is not only a personal milestone for Akinola Davies and the remarkable team at Fatherland Productions led by the brilliant Funmbi Ogunbanwo and Wale
Davies, but also a landmark moment for Nigerian cinema and storytelling.
“My Father’s Shadow stands as a powerful testament to what is possible when homegrown talent is nurtured, empowered, and given the space to shine. With a predominantly Nigerian cast and crew, the film reflects the richness of our stories, the depth of our artistry, and the beauty of our
cultural identity.
“This Cannes selection is a ringing endorsement of the transformative power of Nigerian creativity. It shows the world that we are not just participants but contenders—ready to shape the global narrative with our unique voice, vision, and excellence”.
The Minister also commended Fatherland Productions for their African storytelling which has earned them a recognition by BAFTA and Sundance Film Festivals.
“You have shown what it means to carry the Nigerian flag with grace and brilliance on the world stage. As we prepare to support My Father’s Shadow and its creators at Cannes through Screen Nigeria-our national platform for promoting Nigeria’s audiovisual industry—we are reminded of the importance of initiatives like Destination 2030: Nigeria Everywhere. This global soft
power strategy is designed to export our creative products and amplify the voices of talents like Akinola, Funmbi, and Wale—who are proving that the world is ready, eager, and inspired by
what Nigeria has to offer.
“Let this achievement ignite the dreams of the next generation of Nigerian storytellers. Let it
reaffirm our commitment to creating an enabling environment for creativity to thrive, and let it remind us all that Nigerian art, culture, and talent know no bounds”, Musawa stared.
The film, ‘My Father’s Shadow’ is among the 2,909 feature films screened to curate its 2025 lineup. The Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy is also expected to launch ‘Screen Nigeria’ as part of Destination 2030: Everywhere campaign at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. This initiative aims to promote Nigeria’s audiovisual industry and showcase the country’s creative talent to a global audience.
NNEKA IKEM ANIBEZE Ph.D.
SA MEDIA & PUBLICITY
FMACCE/PS/ 93
10-04-2025
Creative Industry
FG Backs MyCityApp Launch of 100-Day Tourism Calendar to Drive $100bn Economic Growth
Joel Ajayi
The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind the launch of MyCityApp, a Nigerian city discovery and tourism platform designed to aggregate festivals, concerts, cultural events and lifestyle experiences into a single digital calendar.
The platform, which flags off the 100-Day Tourism Calendar, was unveiled on Monday at the Ember2Remember National Stakeholders’ Conference in Victoria Island, Lagos, with the initiative targeting Nigeria’s estimated $100 billion tourism and creative economy opportunity.
In a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Media and Publicity Adviser to the Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Nneka Ikem Anibeze, the ministry said the conference was aimed at mobilising public and private stakeholders to transform the September-to-December festive period into jobs, investment and economic growth.
Speaking at the unveiling, the Minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said millions of visitors travel across Nigeria every year to celebrate, reconnect and experience the country’s diverse culture, stressing that the festive season could be deliberately organised and monetised to strengthen tourism’s contribution to the economy.
“This initiative is about moving beyond the traditional concept of a festive season. It is about deliberately organising, packaging, promoting, and monetising one of the most economically active periods in our national calendar,” Musawa said.
She noted that every visitor generates economic activity across several sectors, including aviation, transportation, hospitality, restaurants, entertainment, retail, technology, artisans and local communities.
The Minister commended MyCityApp Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Ifeoma Chukwu, for her vision and commitment to the initiative.
She urged state governments, event organisers, tourism operators, hospitality businesses and other stakeholders to list their festivals, concerts, exhibitions, food experiences, cultural celebrations, fashion and sporting events on the national calendar.
Musawa said the platform would enable Nigerians, members of the diaspora and international visitors to discover tourism and entertainment experiences across the country from a single, credible source.
Earlier, Chukwu said Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and creative sector provided enormous opportunities for tourism-driven economic growth.
She cited the contributions of tourism to the economies of countries such as Spain, France and the United States, arguing that Nigeria could equally build a $100 billion tourism economy.
Also present were Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson-Awoyinka; Enugu State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ugochi Madueke; NCAC Director-General, Obi Asika; National Gallery of Art Director-General, Ahmed Sodangi; ARCON Director-General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo; and MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr Karl Toriola.
MyLagosApp and MyCityApp will serve as the digital engines of the calendar, distributing events through a 360-degree media ecosystem to audiences in Nigeria and the diaspora.
Stakeholders were encouraged to upload their events on MyCityApp to participate in the national tourism calendar urging them to upload events on http://www.MyCityApp.io.
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