My Father’s Shadow, Crewed By NFTS Alumni, Selected as UK Entry for Best International Feature Oscar

Six National Film and Television School (NFTS) graduates, including Cinematographer Jermaine Edwards and co-producer Funmbi Ogunbanwo, played key roles in the production of My Father’s Shadow, which has been officially selected as the UK’s entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2026 Oscars.
 

The film, which recently shown at the BFI London Film Festival as an entry in the First Feature Competition, has already made history on the global stage. Earlier this year, My Father’s Shadow became the first Nigerian film ever selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection, screening in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section. It also tops the nominations for the upcoming  2025 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) with 12 nods, including Best Cinematography for Jermaine Edwards. 

Directed by Akinola Davies Jr. and co-written with his brother Wale Davies, the semi-autobiographical drama unfolds over the course of a single day in Lagos during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis. The story follows Fola, played by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (Gangs of London, Black Rabbit), a father who embarks on a tense and emotional journey across the city with his two young sons, Remi and Akin (real-life brothers played by Chibuike Marvellous and Godwin Egbo). As political unrest intensifies, the trio’s odyssey becomes an exploration of family, identity, and sacrifice. 

The film, a blend of Yoruba, Naija-Pidgin, and English, was shot by NFTS Cinematography MFA graduate Jermaine Edwards and co-produced by Funmbi Ogunbanwo, a graduate of the Entertainment Format Development course, now the Unscripted Development Diploma.

Other NFTS alumni on the crew include Assistant Editor Oli Bauer, Producer’s Assistant Diana Duah, Co-Supervising Sound Editor Adele Fletcher, and Post Production Supervisor Shaheen Schleifer. Casting of the young brothers was led by Emmy award winning Shaheen Baig, co-founder of the NFTS Certificate in Casting. 

My Father’s Shadow is due for UK release in February 2026. An exclusive preview screening will take place during Film Africa on 14th November, featuring a Q&A with director, Akinola Davies. Established in 2011, Film Africa is delivered by the Royal African Society and is the UK’s leading festival celebrating African and African diaspora cinema. NFTS has previously collaborated with the Royal African Society and Film Africa and is proud to once again support this year’s edition which will run from 14-23rd November. 

The Oscar shortlist of 15 films for Best International Feature will be announced on 16th December 2025, with the final five nominations revealed on 22nd January 2026.

Reflecting on his time at the NFTS, Jermaine Edwards shared: "While at the NFTS, I was part of a close community of eight cinematographers I could turn to for advice and honest feedback. Long after graduating, I can still call on them as friends. Thank you to NFTS tutors Brian Tufano, Stuart Harris and Oliver Stapleton for their support." 

Co-Producer Funmbi Ogunbanwo added: “I have such fond memories of the NFTS Entertainment Format Development course led by Mark Robson and Graham Smith. They fanned the flames of production that were already burning in me as a bright-eyed student. I’m forever grateful to the NFTS for providing me with the specific training we received - we got to observe what makes a compelling story, break it up into its building blocks, and use those building blocks to craft new stories. I’ve carried these tools through my career to become the producer and creative entrepreneur I am today.”

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