Akinola Davies Jr.
British filmmaker, writer, and visual artist
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Akinola Davies Jr. is a British-Nigerian filmmaker, writer, and visual artist. He is best known for his debut film My Father's Shadow, winning of a BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut, a British Independent Film Award and a Gotham Independent Film Award.
Nigerian
Akinola Davies Jr. | |
|---|---|
Davies at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival | |
| Born | London, United Kingdom |
| Citizenship | British Nigerian |
| Occupations | Film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 2018–present |
Early life and education
Career
He went on to start creating music videos and commercials for brands like Gucci, Acne Studios, Moncler, Kenzo, Mulberry, and Louis Vuitton.[6][7]
His 2020 short film Lizard, inspired by his childhood in Nigeria won the Grand Jury Prize for Short Film at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for Best British Short Film at the 2021 BAFTA Awards. Lizard also received a nomination from the London Critics Circle Film Awards and was selected for the BFI London Film Festival and Raindance Film Festival.[8]
In 2025, Davies made his feature-length directorial debut with My Father's Shadow, co-written with his brother Wale Davies.[9][10] My Father's Shadow premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, making history as the first Nigerian film selected for Cannes' official selection,[11] winning the Caméra d'Or – Special Mention.[12] The film also received severals nominations on awards shows, winning the British Independent Film Award for Best Director and the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Director.[13]