Arie and Chuko Esiri’s sophomore, Clarissa, has been selected as one of 19 feature films to screen at the 58th edition of the Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, taking place from May 13-23 alongside the main festival, with a special focus on global and underrepresented cinema.
Shot on 35mm across Lagos and Delta State in late 2025, the film is a reimagining of Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs Dalloway”, unfolding over a single day as a society hostess prepares for an evening gathering while confronting memories, past relationships, and the life she has built.
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Starring Sophie Okonedo, David Oyelowo, Ayo Edebiri, Toheeb Jimoh, and India Amarteifio, Clarissa arrives at Cannes with strong international backing, following its acquisition by NEON.
The Esiri brothers are not new to global festival attention. Their debut feature, Eyimofe (This Is My Desire), premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and was widely praised for its grounded portrayal of migration and working-class life in Lagos, establishing them as key voices in contemporary African cinema.
Clarissa’s Directors’ Fortnight selection comes directly on the back of the 2025 official selection of Akinola Davies Jr’s My Father’s Shadow in the Un Certain Regard section, where it went on to earn a Special Mention for the Caméra d’Or.
A wider Nigerian/West African presence at Cannes this year sees Dika Ofoma as part of the 18th La Fabrique Cinéma cohort, where his debut feature Kachifo will be developed and pitched at the Marché du Film under the Institut français programme supporting emerging filmmakers from the Global South.
Also at the Marché du Film, producers Shirley Frimpong-Manso and Nicolette Ndigwe-Kalu are spotlighted by Women in Film & TV Africa, presenting their latest works within the Producers Network, a space focused on connecting African producers with international partners and collaborators.
Another Nigerian representation at Cannes this year is AFRIFF’s participation in the Goes to Cannes initiative, a showcase at the Marché du Film that will allow six selected AFRIFF delegates to present curated works-in-progress to distributors, sales agents, and festival programmers.
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