The 2013 Uganda Film Festival as it was

By Solomon Muleyi

Monday

The Uganda film festival was launched at the Serena Hotel and was set to go on for the whole week. The launch had the Minister of Information and National Guidance, Mary Karoro Okurut, as the guest of honor and celebrated local actor, Abbey Mukiibi, as the emcee (MC) of the night.

The biggest highlight and the only entertainer at that was Myko Ouma,  who showed his magic had magic.

Tuesday

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), under the theme of Promoting and Revamping the local film industry, staged an exhibition at the National Theatre where local actors, actresses and producers exhibited their work for sale to the public.

According to Godfrey Mutabazi, the Executive Director of the U.C.C, they have a regulation that directs local T.V stations to screen 30 percent international content and the remaining 70 percent strictly local content.

“However, the local media houses, especially T.Vs, haven’t taken the trouble to promote the local film industry as they are not adhering to the regulation by the UCC,” he said.

“It is with such uncorroborated knowledge that the U.C.C staged the exhibition, to help the local film makers to showcase market and promote their products.”

The exhibition had stalls where the several film producers and their cast screened and paraded D.V.Ds of their movie productions for sale. Movies like The Route, King’s Virgin, Abhor, State Research Bureau and several other films that are considered blockbusters yet the local market hasn’t embraced them, where up for sale.

It is this exhibition that has enlightened people about how Ugandan movie producers have finally gotten the monkey off their shoulders.

The producers in most of the movies watched at the exhibition managed to keep the audience just where they wanted them. Such is the potential talent in the Uganda film industry that hasn’t been tapped.

It was a call for the local market to embrace such pieces of perfection. The exhibition went on up to Thursday in the same venue, national theatre.

Wednesday & Thursday

On Wednesday and Thursday there were V.I.P movie screening at the Hub Oasis Mall. It started off with a cocktail in the lounge where invited guests from all media houses interacted and shared opinions and views on how to kick start the project of turning the film industry of Uganda into a multi-billion enterprise, as well as a source of employment to the people in the industry.

The attendance was strictly invitation only people, and after a few hours of constant drinking, the guests were ushered to the cinema hall to watch the movie State Research bureau, nominated for African Movie Academy Awards 2012 for Achievements in the Visual Effects category. 

The movie screenings were meant to unveil the potential that lies beneath the un-embraced film society in Uganda.

Actors like Mathew Nabwiiso, who has risen above the unfriendly waters of the film industry in Uganda to win awards on continent platform. Most of the actors around argued that if the local market is enlightened about the talent and creativity in the Ugandan film industry, the country can export other brands inform of actors to more prestigious platforms.

Friday

Friday was the awards night, and the following movies were winners:

Best Animation - Imitate

Best Student Film  - Bloody Sunset

Best sound category - State Research Bureau, Cockroach, The Trespass, and      The Curse

Best Cinematography - Where we belong, Die with me, The King’s Virgin,The  Trespass, The Curse                                                                            

Best Screen - State Research Bureau

Best Feature Film - State Research Bureau

Best Short Film - Is this love?

Film of the Year - State Research Bureau

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