Latest news with #MyFather'sShadow
Euronews
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Director Akinola Davies Jr. on breaking new ground for Nigerian cinema
My Father's Shadow made history the moment it hit this year's Cannes lineup. Akinola Davies Jr.'s hauntingly beautiful debut became the first Nigerian film to receive an official selection at the festival, a milestone moment not just for the filmmaker but for African cinema as a whole. 'Representing Nigeria to me is a real badge of honour,' Davies Jr. told Euronews Culture. 'I am extremely proud to be Nigerian, proud to be African in general, and I think our stories are incredibly universal.' Set in 1993 Lagos during the tense lead-up to Nigeria's first democratic election since a military coup installed General Ibrahim Babangida, the semi-autobiographical film takes place over the course of a single, fraught day. Through the eyes of two young brothers reuniting with their absent father, My Father's Shadow quietly grapples with themes of masculinity, generational trauma, and the fragility of national identity in times of political unrest. Gangs of London star Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù delivers a simmering performance as Folarin, the burdened patriarch trying to reconnect with his sons, played by breakout talents Chibuike Marvellous Egbo and Godwin Egbo. Davies co-wrote the script with his brother Wale, with both also serving as executive producers on the project. Ahead of its Cannes premiere, global streamer MUBI acquired the film, with plans for a theatrical release in North America and the UK. We sat down with Akinola Davies Jr. following the film's premiere to discuss his Cannes experience, the making of My Father's Shadow, and the responsibility - and joy - of representing Nigeria on cinema's biggest stage. Euronews Culture: First of all, congratulations. It's fair to say My Father's Shadow has been a huge success story. It's received critical acclaim and, obviously, it was the first Nigerian film to be officially selected into Cannes. Could you tell us a little bit about the experience of going to Cannes and what it meant to you personally to represent Nigeria on such a massive global stage? Akinola Davies Jr.: Sure. I mean, you never really set out to be the first in anything, and we certainly weren't aware that it would be the first Nigerian film in selection. I think there have been Nigerian films at Cannes before, but obviously not in selection. So, the experience was pretty overwhelming, but in the best way. I think it's incredible to show work in a place full of cinephiles, people who love the craft, and a place with such massive prestige. It's everything you imagine the environment for your projects and work to live in. In that aspect, it was really fantastic to be there. I think Nigerians, with it being the first Nigerian film at Cannes, have really caught on to that. Many of the crew and cast turned up publicly, and it was synonymous with Nigeria having a pavilion in Cannes for the first year, which was just serendipitous and equally felt like perfect timing. The film doing as well as it has and being received as it has is like a cherry on top of a cherry on top of a cherry. So, yeah, I'm really pleased. Representing Nigeria to me is a real badge of honour. I am extremely proud to be Nigerian, proud to be African in general, and I think our stories are incredibly universal. I hope that continues because filmmakers like Mati Diop with her film Atlantiques and the Esiri brothers did it with Eyimofe (Eyimofe: This Is My Desire). But I think there's probably becoming an icnreasing market for nuanced versions of our stories to travel across the world. Nigerian cinema boasts an incredibly rich and deep history, from the pioneering work of Hubert Ogunde to the more recent contributions of Kunle Afolayan. Why do you think it has taken so long for a Nigerian film to be officially selected at Cannes? I find this question a bit tricky. On one hand, it's about curiosity because media, finance, and many industries are structured to privilege the global North. So naturally, everyone looks to Europe and America for what's relevant. However, there is now more introspection, allowing the global North to turn its attention toward the global South for stories and ideas. Both have been closely linked through growth and resource sharing. Specifically for Nigerian films traveling abroad, it's important to remember that Nigeria is made up of over 300 tribes, each with different languages and dialects. We are community-based people, so Nollywood's primary focus is serving Nigerian audiences. Beyond that, Nollywood serves the African continent and the diaspora. If Europe shows interest, it is incredibly welcoming - but language and dialect barriers need to be bridged. Europe hasn't always been great at doing that, especially since the focus has mostly been on European markets. So, there's definitely some complexity here. That being said, Nigerian films have been present at Cannes before - including another film this year. Perhaps storytelling style also plays a role: my film is part of Nollywood but leans more toward arthouse, which aligns well with Cannes, whereas many Nigerian films tend to be more commercial. I think both sides could do a better job bridging that gap. How do you see your work in relationship with Nollywood? I think my film is unapologetically a Nollywood film. My cast and crew are about 90% people who work in Nollywood. To say the work isn't Nollywood feels disingenuous. Nollywood is incredibly rich, with a beautiful tapestry of storytelling, creativity, and technical prowess. I wear that as a badge of honour. It's a young, fledgling industry. Nigerian cinema predates Nollywood, but Nollywood itself is probably 30–34 years old, roughly my age. Hollywood, by comparison, is about 100 years in development. Maybe now Nollywood has a commercial neccisity, but hopefully films like mine branch out to create space for arthouse narratives, more nuanced dramas. Nollywood has done well in horror, sci-fi, and supernatural, but the drama of the common man's daily life may be neglected. Hopefully films like mine, films like Eyimofe, films like All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White, films like Mami Wata, create that palette, and audiences are interested. Going back to Cannes, were there any particularly surreal moments? Yeah, a couple of moments. The red carpets are always a little surreal. I tried to wink at Cate Blanchett. I don't know if she saw it, but I definitely tried. I also sat down and had lunch with Juliette Binoche, which was really surreal. But the moments that spun me out the most were simple. I follow this guy, Thomas Flight, on YouTube who does video essays and reviews. Meeting him in person was probably more exciting than seeing a celebrity because I love his work. What did you do to celebrate after the premiere of your film? Any parties? Yes, we had a party. Element produced my film and also produced Harry Lighton's incredible debut Pillion, which won an award for best screenplay. So we shared a party. I have a background in throwing parties and music, so I got some incredible DJs to come play. By all accounts, it was pretty good. For anyone unfamiliar, could you give us a brief synopsis of My Father's Shadow? Sure. My Father's Shadow is a film about fatherhood, nationhood, and brotherhood. It's about two brothers spending the day with their father, who they don't see regularly. He takes them around Lagos to show the struggles he goes through to provide for the family. They question his absence and hold him to account. On that day, there's a big election result announced, and he has to get them home. Why did you feel it was important to set it against such a pivotal political event in Nigerian history? Exactly for that reason. It was a pivotal moment. I was in Nigeria during that period, as was my brother, and we knew something was going on from the reactions of family. We were probably too young to fully understand the politics at the time, but in our research, we realised it was an important moment in the country's history, something not well documented until now. It's like a family heirloom in terms of Nigeria. It's a very important story to tell because Nigeria has a big part to play in Africa's growth and development, and even the world's. It hasn't fully fulfilled that potential yet, though there have been shimmering moments. To really shift things forward, we need to tell our own stories in a nuanced way, not from an outside perspective. I think My Father's Shadow holds a lot in terms of contemporary Nigerian history. It's important to know what happened and who was around in that period for sure. You co-wrote the film with your brother Wale, and I understand you each had different memories of your childhood and your father. How did those contrasting perspectives shape or enrich the film? My brother is an incredibly accomplished writer. He's also a musician and in music management. He's older than me and probably the most well-read person I know. He's also one of my closest and probably my best friends. Working with a sibling forces you into a space of honesty because you know everything about each other. That helps the work because we try to write from an honest place. If it's not honest, it doesn't feel right. Both of us being men, him being a father, and me not yet, also helps. Being close in age to when we lost our father really helped the genesis of the film - trying to figure out what we actually remember, what's made up, what's been told to us, what we fabricated versus what's real. That was the guiding force for writing the script. Equally, my brother became a father during the writing process, so a lot of emotions and the idea of sacrifice and providing for your family were taken into account. There's a narrative of absent fathers, which can be quite negative and derivative, but I don't think ours fits that. Our absent father was out of duty and providing for the family, which I believe is common in an African context - it's traditional and conservative. Ultimately, there's still this idea of duty in Africa, maybe antiquated in Europe, but still very present - providing for your family sometimes means you don't spend as much time with them. That's where our story comes from, and I think there are still challenges we're dealing with. Nigeria in the '90s - like much of the world - was very male dominated. Do you think it's changed much nowadays? I think on the surface, it's very male dominated, but I definitely wouldn't say women are in hierarchical control - although in politics, they've been gaining more ground. Actually, I think Nigerian women probably crystallise the brilliance of Nigeria in many ways. Our producer is a Nigerian woman; we have two producers, one from the UK and one from Nigeria. My mother - who's obviously a Nigerian woman - in my father's absence or after his passing, she took the mantle and raised four children. My aunt is the matriarch of the family. I was always surrounded by my mother's friends - they all ran their own businesses and were completely self-sufficient. If you go to any market in Nigeria, it's pretty much all women running things. So yeah, on the surface - and maybe politically or presidentially in some cases - it feels male dominated, and it's probably easy to say that from the outside looking in. But even though my mother isn't really in the film, she's still an overarching presence. Feminine energy is also a strong, though not front-facing, presence in the film - more subconscious, effectively. And I think that's what it means. To your question, I think Africa in general, and Nigeria in particular, has to present as masculine because of our history - colonial history, independence history. The leaders who've been targeted and killed the most were men and statesmen, including in my film, even though Abiola is still very much alive within it. So when that absence happens, it's the women who have to take care of the family, who have to rise to the occasion - especially Abiola's wives, who are central characters in my film. While my film is set over one day, after Abiola's passing years later, his wives were the ones leading the charge. So yeah, on the surface it might feel that way, but for me, having grown up there, I'd probably counter that Nigeria is highly organised and run by women. Obviously, patriarchy still has a place in society because of the colonial experience. But hopefully, through telling stories in film, art, and media, we can reference our histories. You shot the film on location, on 16mm film. How was that logistically and why did you feel it was important to shoot in this medium? You'd have to ask my producers for logistics, but it was challenging - there are no labs on the continent. We had to shuttle film back and forth, so we didn't see rushes for almost a week, meaning we couldn't strike sets during that time. I love shooting on film. It slows the pace, embraces imperfections, and allows more rehearsal time with cast and crew. Two of my three leads had never acted before - I didn't want to nitpick performances on set. Originally, I planned to fix things in the edit. Working with my Mexican editor Omidy Guzman, who's an unsung hero, we extracted what we needed and got the performances we wanted. Thematically, shooting a period film on film really helped. Politically, I wanted to see the Lagos I grew up in captured on what I consider the most beautiful medium. I wasn't exposed to much of that growing up. So whenever I shoot in Nigeria, I want to shoot on film because Lagos is incredibly cinematic and deserves celluloid - not that I'm against digital; I love digital too and shoot it often. But I think when it comes to capturing the essence of a place, I think film is a really good shorthand. What impact do you hope My Father's Shadow will have on the wider film industry? Ooooh big question! It's a bit early to say, but from responses, I hope My Father's Shadow is like breaking ground for a next generation of filmmakers to see that it's possible to do it. Obviously, like, I come with a certain level of privilege. I was born in the UK. My film's financed in the UK predominantly, but obviously co-produced by a Nigerian production company, Nigerian talent, Nigerian crew. So there's a lot of collaboration in there. But, obviously, I have to also say that it comes with a certain level of privilege having MUBI, Element, Match Factory, Fremantle, BBC, BFI all involved. That might not be the case for every filmmaker, but I want to acknowledge that and say that there is a way to sort of get to this point, but, obviously, it takes a lot of collaboration, a lot of forward thinking, and a lot of groundwork, but it's possible. My Father's Shadow had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Special Mention for the Caméra d'Or. Mubi acquired distribution rights for North America, the UK, Ireland, and Turkey.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cannes Showcases Africa's Film Future
African cinema has arrived in Cannes determined to blaze its own trail amid signs of a slowdown in investment across the continent from the world's leading streamers. Leading the way is Akinola Davies Jr.'s drama My Father's Shadow, an Un Certain Regard contender that's being touted as the first Nigerian film ever selected for Cannes' official lineup. The continent's vast array of location options, meanwhile, is being showcased thanks to the Cameroon-set police thriller Indomptables, from French director Thomas Ngijol, part of this year's Directors' Fortnight lineup. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'The Real Housewives of London,' NBCU Reality Streamer Hayu's First Original, Unveils Cast Andrew Tate and Brother Tristan Charged With 21 U.K. Crimes, Including Rape and Human Trafficking Susie Wolff Is Putting the F(emale) in F1 The much-anticipated Nigerian historical fantasy Osamede will also have its world premiere at the festival — screening at the Marché du Film's Pavillon Afriques on May 17 — and its makers believe the message Africa collectively wants to share is that the continent remains open for business. During the pandemic-era streaming boom, when the legacy studios joined Netflix in a race to boost subscriber counts, Africa — with its young demographics and large populations — was frequently touted as a promising growth market. But in the post-pandemic reassessment of streaming, when revenue per user became Wall Street's preferred metric for assessing success in the sector (rather than sub growth at any cost), U.S. studios and platforms began speaking much less frequently about their original content ambitions in Africa. 'We've already realized that we want to tell authentic African stories and we don't want to tell them just for local audiences,' says Osamede's Nigeria-based director James Omokwe. 'So Cannes is one of the first places we want to go internationally, for people to see what we've done — to see what's coming out of Africa and to see our first moves out of, you know, the rubble [of the streaming investment slowdown].' Set against the backdrop of the 1897 British invasion of the Benin Kingdom, Osamede follows an orphaned girl who happens upon supernatural powers, with the filmmakers promising a 'genre-blending epic that mixes myth, magic and resistance.' The stage-to-screen production is being driven by executive producer Lilian Olubi's Gold Lilies Productions, and it has been picked up for domestic and regional distribution by Nile Entertainment. The move to premiere the film at Cannes is designed to showcase it on a more international stage. 'In the beginning, we were having conversations about how we'd probably take the film to streamers — simple,' says Omokwe. 'But now we've had to figure out how to do it on our own. It's now like you're reinventing the wheel, innovating new ways to distribute the film and make money because as it is, there's no standard value chain, so we're all just trying our best to see how it works.' Amazon Prime's decision last year to cease operations in Africa sent tremors across the continent's content industries. The move cut investment in original content, along with momentum in the sector for mergers and acquisitions. Multiple industry insiders tell THR — asking not to be named to protect relationships and future opportunities — that they believed Netflix was implementing a slowdown of its investments in the region, too. But the California-based streaming giant is still spending more on African content than its peers. African titles in the works from Netflix include new seasons of the popular series Kings of Jo'Burg (season three) and Fatal Seduction (season two). The company also has an ongoing partnership with the Johannesburg-based production banner Burnt Onion (Seriously Single). Back in March — on the sidelines of the Joburg Film Festival — Netflix's vp content in the Middle East and Africa, Ben Amadasun, remained bullish about the streamer's prospects in the region. 'We have seen firsthand the power and impact of African stories, not just on the continent but across the world,' Amadasun said at the event. 'The global audience is hungry for authentic, bold and fresh African narratives, and Netflix is committed to ensuring those stories reach and resonate with millions of entertainment fans worldwide. Our approach is simple: We want to invest in the best African talent, collaborate with amazing local creators, and continue expanding the frontiers of what's possible in African storytelling.' On paper at least, prospects for the region appear full of promise. Some big names have rallied to the cause, with London-born The Wire and Luther star Idris Elba last year announcing plans to set up studios across the region, starting in Tanzania and on the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar. The actor — who was born to a Sierra Leonean father and a Ghanaian mother — cited the K-wave content boom from South Korea as an example of what Africa could achieve, lamenting to CNN on the sidelines of the Stellar Development Foundation's Meridian conference in London that the majority of Africa-set content 'isn't even generated from Africa.' 'The median age in Africa is 19; these young people are optimistic and deserve the chance to tell their own stories,' Elba said. UNESCO has projected that Africa's film and audiovisual industry could 'create 20 million jobs and add $20 billion to the continent's GDP by 2030.' Lagos-based media mogul Mo Abudu, founder and CEO of the EbonyLife Group, is well aware of those prospects — and of the potential for African content and talent to expand its global reach. 'I'm very excited about the fact that we need to create our own distribution channels, our own distribution networks,' she says. 'We need to find ways to fund our own productions. I am excited about building that ecosystem around funding, distribution and production. 'We're working on a $50 million film fund that African filmmakers can draw from by the end of the year. We're looking at budgets from between $2 million to $8 million. I'm excited about the fact that we're talking to a big global distributor right now as our distribution partner — because at the end of the day, you can't make a film and not have it distributed globally, and we don't have global distribution outlets here at the moment.' In addition to investing in an emerging generation of talent through her company's EbonyLife Creative Academy, and expanding EbonyLife TV, Abudu has previously worked with Netflix on the acclaimed series Blood Sisters. She's also close to opening a 180-seat EbonyLife Place London entertainment center on the British capital's Wandsworth Road to showcase African film, theater, music, food, art and fashion. 'We are also in the process of launching our own OTT platform [EbonyLife ON],' says Abudu. 'We will start small. We will build. But I do believe that it's important to take these baby steps and to get out there and to start creating some momentum. We can't keep waiting on anyone else to do this for us.' Co-productions continue to be one of the African industry's main drivers of investment and growth. My Father's Shadow — which stars Sope Dìrísù and centers on a family reunion around the time of the 1993 Nigerian presidential election — was produced by the U.K.-Ireland operation Element Pictures in partnership with Nigeria's Fatherland Productions. Support has also come via BBC Film and the BFI, while international sales are being handled by Germany's The Match Factory. Sarika Hemi Lakhani spent 18 years working across Africa with the Kenya-based One Fine Day Films (Nairobi Half-Life) before moving to Berlin last year to join Tom Tykwer's X Filme Creative Pool. The hope ahead, she says, is for co-production treaties that balance creative control between those holding the purse strings from outside Africa and the talent the region is providing. 'There are so many untapped stories on the African continent,' she says. 'And that means there are also so many untapped opportunities.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
France 24
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Donald Trump signs travel ban on 12 countries
Also, Africa has immense international cultural influence. Nigerian filmmakers made a strong showing at this year's Cannes Film Festival in France, with Akinola Davies Jr.'s debut feature, My Father's Shadow, making history as the first Nigerian film selected for the official lineup, screening in the Un Certain Regard section. Earlier, I spoke to Peace Hyde, the producer behind the Netflix hit Young, Famous & African, now in its third season. She says that the impact that the continent's creatives are having is no accident, and there's more to come. Finally, in Burundi, Parliamentary elections were held on thursday. The ruling party was expected to win as it didn't face much opposition, with many rival political figures not being allowed to run. Amidst the tension, some of the boldest voices have come from the Catholic Church.
New Straits Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Nigeria's Nollywood finally makes it into Cannes
IT has taken nearly 80 years, but a Nigerian movie was finally screened in a hallowed official slot at the recent Cannes film festival. After decades of being written off for its cheap and cheerful crowd-pleasers, Nollywood — the frenetic film industry based in Lagos which churns out up to five films a day — is basking in the reflected glory. But producers admit that it is still struggling to reach audiences outside Africa beyond the diaspora despite making way more films every year than Hollywood. Nigerians have long lapped up Nollywood's never-ending deluge of low-budget dramas about love, poverty, religion and corruption, often spiced with the supernatural and the clash between modern and traditional values. Not exactly known for their quality, many are shot at breakneck speed on shoestring budgets. But that image — which producers insist is a hangover from the days when most were shot on video camcorders — may be about to change with 'My Father's Shadow', the first Nigerian film to make the grade at Cannes, the temple of arthouse cinema. "Getting into competition for the first time ever shows that Nigerian cinema has come of age," insisted Prince Baba Agba, a cultural advisor to Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, who was in Cannes for the premiere. PIVOTAL MOMENT Akinola Davies' first feature is set during the 1993 coup, a pivotal moment in Nigeria's recent history, when the military annulled the election and General Sani Abacha eventually took power. This "lost chance" when Akinola said the "rug was pulled away and everyone's dreams of democracy were just taken away", still marks the country. The semi-autobiographical story, featuring 'Gangs of London' actor Sope Dirisu, has two small boys following their father through Lagos as the coup unfolds. And the film is no one-off "unicorn", Agba argued. Editi Effiong's crime thriller 'The Black Book' topped the global lists on Netflix last year, including being number one in South Korea. "We have had films going to major festivals and we have won prizes at Sundance," he told AFP, pointing to 'Shine Your Eyes' — a hit at the Berlin film festival. 'Eyimofe (This Is My Desire)' has been picked up by the prestigious streaming and distribution network Criterion Collection. "It was fully shot in Nigeria, with Nigerian producers, Nigerian finance, everything," Agba added. "We are still making an awful lot of films, but now in all the strata, from the bottom to the top," he added. "You have people doing million-dollar productions, and you have people doing US$10,000 films... all telling unique stories with the soul and heart and spirit of Nigeria," he added. Tax breaks for filmmakers — now passing through parliament — could be a gamechanger, he said, boosting Nollywood's new "penetration internationally thanks to streaming and co-productions". Big US streamers began to dip their toe during the pandemic, with Netflix picking up 'Blood Sisters', 'Man of God' and the musical 'Ayinla' while local industries also boomed, particularly in the Muslim north's "Kannywood", named after the city of Kano. SOFT POWER There has since been a few big bumps in the road, however, with Amazon closing down its Africa operation last year. Netflix has also hit the brakes hard, industry insiders in Cannes told AFP, although officially it's still business as usual. Big local players, however, are angling to step into the gap with the Ebonylife Group — a Nollywood powerhouse — about to launch its own platform. "We will start small and we will build... We can't keep waiting on everyone else to do this for us," said its founder Mo Abudu, who is also opening a Nigerian cultural hub in London later this year. While Agba admitted the industry faces "big technological and infrastructure challenges", particularly with mobile networks as most films are seen on phones, there has been progress. "We hope to double our (cinema) screens to 300. Brazil, with a similar population, has over 3,000," he said. Along with Afrobeats music, Nollywood is Nigeria's main source of soft power. One measure of its ineluctable rise is that when The Hollywood Reporter named its "40 Most Influential Women in International Film" list on the eve of Cannes, Mo Abudu was at its very top.
Buzz Feed
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
10 Must-See Movies At Sydney Film Festival 2025
One of life's greatest joys is going to the movies by yourself. Taking your seat by yourself, perhaps giving an air of mystery or intrigue, as you get ready to be the cinephile you truly are. Letterboxd at the ready, snacks brought from home in a Ziploc bag, emotional support water bottle giving you all the comfort you a truly liberating experience and I encourage you ALL to do it. Plus, even if everyone in the cinema is a complete stranger to everyone else, you're all going to laugh, or cry, or scream — or all three — at the same movie you're about to watch. And there's no better place to condense all these good feels and good vibes into a short space of time than at a film festival. This year, the Sydney Film Festival has come in swinging with some huge titles I've been dying to see. It Was Just An Accident First on the list is the winner of this year's Palme d'Or at Cannes i.e. the big dog movie award of all big dog movie awards. Directed by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, It Was Just An Accident is a thriller that promises to be the ultimate revenge the key characters aren't sure that they're taking revenge on the right person. It's meant to be equal parts exhilarating, funny, and morally grey — sounds like a must-watch to me. On Swift Horses Jacob Elordi hooking up with Diego Luna. Will Poulter hooking up with Daisy Edgar-Jones. It's a romantic drama (obviously) set against the aftermath of the Korean War, so you know it's going to balance that should they/shouldn't they romantic questions with the moral dilemma of wartime considering Elordi's fresh off the back of another wartime drama with The Narrow Road to the Deep North, you can be sure he's well and truly in his bag with this one. Together It's probably the most anticipated Aussie movie of the year, and it's set to kick off the entire festival with a bang. Starring IRL lovers Dave Franco and Alison Brie, this movie, helmed by Michael Shanks in his directorial debut (!), isn't going to be one for the faint-hearted. Take my warning now — If you watched The Substance last year because everyone was talking about it, only to leave horrified, maybe skip this everyone else, this body horror is opening the festival for a reason. It's going to be a big one, and you're gonna see Dave and Alison like you've never seen them before. My Father's Shadow This movie is the first Nigerian film to ever make the Cannes official selection, and now Aussies are getting a chance to watch the drama that's slowly winning audiences over of the best parts of the Sydney Film Festival is that it gives you a chance to see movies you'd probably never be able to otherwise, and My Father's Shadow is the perfect example of that. Following a father and his two young kids as they head into Nigeral's capital Lagos, the kids become exposed to political views that they've never seen in their rural home — and, apparently, all through stunning cinematography. The Mastermind If you're anything like me, you probably can't get enough of Josh O'Connor after watching Challengers last year. Now, our boy is booked and busy, and has a slew of movies currently in production, but the one that has me most excited is The a heist movie set in the '70s (so completely different to Challengers) and stars Alana Haim (yes, of that HAIM) in her second ever movie role after absolutely killing it in 2021's Licorice Pizza. Dangerous Animals A nail-biting, truly Australian horror movie that stars Jai Courtenay as a shark-obsessed serial killer hunting down Zephyr, played by Yellowstone's Hassie Harrison, a Gold Coast surfer to determined to survive the killer's sadistic I say more??? The Secret Agent Sometimes you just really need to sink your teeth into a heavy political thriller that really gets your wheels year, that movie is The Secret Agent, out of Brazil. Set amid the draconian political era of Brazil as last year's Oscar-winning I'm Still Here, this movie follows a guy on the run from the regime, taking on an assumed identity while also looking to reunite with his son. But a wanted man is still a wanted man, so he's going to need to figure something out before he's snatched right back I, for one, can't wait to watch it unfold. Twinless Now, Sydney Film Festival's official website says the less you know about Twinless going into it, the better. I'm all for experiencing movies like that (I knew nothing about Everything Everywhere All At Once before attending a preview screening that would ultimately change my life).That being said, here's what we do know. This movie is about a queer bromance, stars Dylan O'Brien, and it's meant to have you peeing yourself with laughter. Sign me TF up. Eddington Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix and Austin Butler (!) star in this movie about a fictional town riddled by COVID-19 (!!) in May 2020 directed by the evil genius behind Hereditary and Midsommar, Ari Aster (!!!).While I'm personally not ready for films and TV to depict the pandemic, I know Ari Aster's take is going to be so creative and twisted that I'll have no choice but to sit and watch. And finally, Fwends Girl fed up with her Sydney law firm job heads to Melbourne to reconnect with her mate, who is a bit of a space cadet (head's always in the clouds). Seems simple, right?This promises to be a movie that is strictly, above all else, about female friendship. We're gonna watch these two best mates recount office horror stories, break-up tales and whatever else fills their brains as they trawl through Melbourne, and I have a feeling its going to reach so far into our souls and psyche that we won't be able to stop thinking about it long after the credits have rolled. You can check the full program for the 2025 Sydney Film Festival, and snap up remaining tickets, here.
