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Breaking Through: Nigeria Films at the Cannes Festival 2025

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The 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival from May 13 to May 24, 2025 marks a historic turning point for Nigerian cinema. For the first time ever, Nigeria isn’t just participating at the prestigious global event; it’s staking a powerful claim on the world stage.

From a debut national pavilion to the official recognition of two groundbreaking films, Nigeria is rewriting the narrative of African storytelling at Cannes. This year’s festival features 22 films in the Official Selection, but what makes 2025 unforgettable for Nollywood isn’t just the numbers, it’s the quality, boldness, and cultural depth of the stories being told.

This is more than presence. It’s representation with purpose, and a moment that signals a new era for Nigerian film.

Here are the two Nigerian films making waves at Cannes 2025, each bringing a unique story and perspective to the global stage.

My Father’s Shadow

Director: Akinola Davies Jr.

Category: Cannes Official Selection

Premiere Date: May 18, 2025

My Father’s Shadow makes history as the first Nigerian feature film to be included in the Cannes Official Selection. Set against the backdrop of the 1993 Nigerian presidential election, the film follows two brothers navigating a politically tense Lagos with their estranged father.

With raw emotion, political insight, and masterful cinematography, this film represents a milestone for Nigerian storytelling on the global stage.

Osamede

Director: James Omokwe

Category: Cannes Film Market Screening

Screening Date: May 17, 2025

Rooted in African mythology and history, Osamede is a fantasy thriller set in the 1897 Benin Kingdom. It follows a young orphan girl who discovers her superhuman powers and sets out to protect her people against colonial threats. With its stunning visuals and mythical narrative, Osamede is a bold testament to Nollywood’s capacity for genre innovation and world-building.

Its screening at the Cannes Film Market puts the spotlight on Nigeria’s ability to compete at a global scale.

Conclusion

With the groundbreaking inclusion of My Father’s Shadow and the fantasy brilliance of Osamede, Cannes 2025 marks a monumental moment for Nollywood.

This is not just a breakthrough, it’s a blueprint for the next chapter of Nollywood: bold, visionary, and ready to take center stage. Which of these Nigerian films will you watch first? The historical and emotional layers of My Father’s Shadow? The magical, mythical adventure of Osamede? Let me know in the comments which one you’re most excited to see.

Read also: From Nominees to Reigning Stars 

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Tyler Perry Reveals Why He Has Chosen to Stay Away From Marriage

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Photo: Instagram/@tylerperry

Tyler Perry has explained why he has no plans to get married, saying his decision is influenced by what he has seen people lose financially after divorce.

The actor, filmmaker and producer spoke about his decision during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show while promoting his new Netflix film, Why Did I Get Married Again? The movie is the third instalment in Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? franchise, which began in 2007.

When Jennifer Hudson asked Perry if he planned to get married, he answered, “Nope.” When asked if he simply did not want to marry, Perry clarified that marriage itself was not his concern.

Photo: Instagram/@tylerperry

“It’s not the marriage that bothers me. It’s the divorce,” he said.

Perry explained that he has seen financially successful people go broke after divorce.

“Everybody that I know that did well and went broke, it was because of a divorce,” he added.

His Why Did I Get Married? films have followed couples dealing with problems in their relationships, even as Perry has chosen not to marry in his own life.

Perry, 57, was previously in a long-term relationship with model and filmmaker Gelila Bekele. The pair were together from 2009 to 2020 and share an 11-year-old son, Aman.

During an appearance on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle, he said he plans to move to Puerto Rico with Aman at the beginning of 2027 and cut back on his workload.

Photo: Instagram/@tylerperry

“Yes, I’m moving to Puerto Rico at the beginning of the year and I’m going to slow down a whole lot,” Perry said.

Meanwhile, Why Did I Get Married Again? continues the story of the couples from the earlier films. The new movie takes the characters to Lake Como, Italy, for the destination wedding of Marcus and Angela’s daughter.

Perry wrote, directed and stars in the film, which also features returning cast members Jill Scott, Tasha Smith, Michael Jai White, Richard T. Jones, Sharon Leal and Lamman Rucker, with Taraji P. Henson also joining the cast.

Why Did I Get Married Again? began streaming on Netflix on September 9, 2026.

Watch Below:

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Ciara Is Pregnant, Expecting Her Fifth Child With Russell Wilson

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Instagram/@dangerusswilson

Ciara and her husband, Russell Wilson, are expecting another child. The couple announced the pregnancy on September 6, 2026.

The news was shared through a joint Instagram post featuring photos and videos of Ciara showing off her growing baby bump. In one of the clips, she is seen hanging white shirts on a clothesline, with each shirt representing one of her children. A blank baby onesie is then shown to represent the newest addition to the family.

Photo: Instagram/@dangerusswilson

The couple captioned the announcement, “One more person to Love.” They also appeared together holding up five fingers.

Ciara already has four children. She shares 12-year-old Future Zahir with rapper Future, while she and Wilson are parents to 9-year-old Sienna Princess, 6-year-old Win Harrison and 2-year-old Amora Princess. The new baby will therefore be Ciara’s fifth child and Wilson’s fourth.

Photo: Instagram/@dangerusswilson

Read Also: Ciara Traces Her Roots to Benin Republic 

The pregnancy comes after years of Wilson openly talking about wanting another child. Shortly after Amora was born in December 2023, Wilson joked about having a fifth baby, referring to the idea as “Cinco.”  Ciara was open to the idea.

Photo: Instagram/@dangerusswilson

Wilson again spoke about the possibility in July 2026, saying that he was trying to convince Ciara to have a fifth child. He said the couple already had four amazing children and hoped “Cinco” would  happen.

Ciara and Wilson got married in 2016. Wilson retired from professional football in June 2026. He has joined CBS Sports as a broadcaster.

The couple has not yet announced the baby’s sex or name. Their pregnancy announcement is a welcomed development for the couples.

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Shakira Reveals She Waited 20 Days for Burna Boy’s Verse on the FIFA World Cup Song “Dai Dai”

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Photo: Instagram

Colombian music star Shakira has shared a behind-the-scenes story about her collaboration with Nigerian Grammy winner Burna Boy on the 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem during a recent appearance on the Capital Evening Show with Jimmy Hill, revealing that she waited nearly three weeks before receiving his contribution to the song.

Speaking about how the collaboration came together, the singer explained that Burna Boy sent his verse 20 days after agreeing to be part of the project. Despite the delay, she said she remained confident that he would deliver because she was determined to have him on the record.

Photo: Instagram

“I called him and I was like, ‘Hey, are you down to do this?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, why not?’… I was like waiting for 20 days for him to send something and I’m like, ‘Okay, maybe he’s not gonna do it.’ But then he sent his magic and it was just absolutely perfect,” Shakira said.

Shakira also explained why she specifically reached out to the African Giant hitmaker. According to her, she had been a fan of his music for years and wanted a distinctive male voice that could match the energy and global appeal of the World Cup.

Photo: Instagram/@shakira

“And I’ve always loved Burna, like I always wanted to do something with him,” Shakira said. She praised his unique vocal style, adding, “I think his voice is just, it works so well on this song, so well. I couldn’t imagine anybody else on it, actually.”

The collaboration resulted in “Dai Dai,” the official song released for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The track brought together two internationally recognised artists, pairing Shakira’s long-running connection with FIFA World Cup music with Burna Boy’s contribution to the tournament’s latest anthem.

Photo: Instagram

The 2026 project also added another chapter to Shakira’s history with the FIFA World Cup. She performed “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)”, the official song of the 2010 tournament in South Africa, before releasing “La La La” for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Her collaboration with Burna Boy on “Dai Dai” continued that association, this time alongside one of Africa’s biggest music stars.

Looking back on the collaboration, Shakira said Burna Boy’s contribution justified the wait. Although she admitted she briefly wondered whether he would eventually send his verse, she said the finished record confirmed why she had wanted him on the song from the beginning, describing his contribution as “absolutely perfect”.

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