Akinola Davies Jr.’s ground-breaking feature length film My Father’s Shadow has been selected as the U.K.’s official Oscar submission for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards. It was chosen to represent the U.K. by a special BAFTA selection committee. The film was the first Nigerian feature film to make a debut at the 78th Cannes Film Festival where it received a Special Mention for the Caméra d’Or prize, an award presented to the best first feature film in the festival’s official selections.

The film, directed and executive-produced by Davies Jr. and written by Wale Davies is set in Lagos in the aftermath of the 1993 presidential election, the story follows Folarin (played by Dìrísù) and his two sons, Remi and Akin (played by Godwin and Marvellous Egbo), as they attempt to reconnect amid the country’s political turmoil.

“We are so excited to see the journey of this film unfold and for the film to resonate with audiences,” said the filmmaking team in a statement. “It is a film that is at once intimate and epic. Films open minds and build understanding, bringing different perspectives and experiences from all over the globe to the screen. We are so proud to be telling this Nigerian story and to sit alongside others in the international feature category that curate local to global stories, creating a diversity of storytelling that thrives through the power of collaboration.”

My Father’s Shadow was presented by BBC Film and the BFI, in association with The Match Factory, Fremantle, Electric Theatre Collective, and MUBI. It is an Element Pictures production, in association with Crybaby and Fatherland. The film gained support from MUBI, which secured distribution rights for North America, the UK, Ireland, and Turkey. It also secured French distribution through Le Pacte.

The Oscar international feature shortlist will be announced on Dec. 16 and the final five nominees will be announced on Jan. 22.