Ugandan movie When You Become Me, which advocates for inclusion of persons with disabilities, has reached the final stage of the Cannes World Film Festival 2023.

The Cannes World Film Festival, organised by Film Freeway and Internet Movie Database (IMDB), aims to recognise and honour outstanding filmmakers while supporting the growth of emerging talents worldwide.

The film underwent multiple rounds of judging and has now advanced to the final stage in the category of Best of Future-Audience award. The winner of this category will receive a prestigious custom-made metal statuette called the “Luciole d’Or” (Golden Fairy), which is equivalent to the “Ballon d’Or” in football.

In the final phase, When You Become Me will compete against several international films, including Where The Wind Takes Me by Ana Cristina Prieto Gracia from Spain, White Room by Alina Dunaevskaya Markize from France, Who Is Like You? by Shira Green from Israel, Won’t Be Around by Terry Blade from the US, and You & Me Forever Home by Marco E Wu from Taiwan.

Speaking to New Vision, the director of the movie, Mathew Nabwiso, expressed his delight and referred to this milestone as a heavenly achievement. He also expressed optimism about bringing the prestigious accolade home.

“This is a heavenly milestone for me, the funders, and the cast and crew. We submitted our film some time ago, went through various jury levels, and have now reached this stage. I am hopeful that we can bring this award home,” he said.

Besides winning the Best Supporting Actor (Musa Mwambu)  at the Uganda Film Festival(UFF) in 2023, the film also won Best World Feature Film at the World Indie Film Awards days ago.

When You Become Me was produced and directed by Mathew Nabwiso of Nabwiso Films, in collaboration with Reach a Hand Uganda and Light for the World International. The film sheds light on the importance of disability inclusion in the workplace.

Written by Aganza Kisaka and Ambrose Ngobi, the film tells the story of an insecure editorial assistant who challenges the prevailing narrative of direct disability discrimination while facing familial rejection, true love, and self-doubt.