KAMPALA – The Uganda Film Festival (UFF) which aims at awarding outstanding film creations in the country, was held at the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) Nakawa on Friday, November 29.
The award gala was the culminating event of a week-long festival that was marked by several activities including film screenings, film exhibition market, workshops, and training among others.
Lailah was the biggest winner in the evening. A movie directed by Richard Mulindwa.
The movie scooped five awards including Best Director, People Choice Award, Best Post Production, Best Feature Film and Best Actor in a Feature Film.
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Executive Director, Godfrey Mutabazi, said that they are working towards making sure that the local film industry grows to an international level.
“We want to see our film industry rival industries like Hollywood in the USA, Nollywood in Nigeria and Bollywood in India; we want to foster local talent in the industry,” he said.
“This [film] industry is the best industry in the world. There is no way we can make the film industry die,” he said revealing that UCC will keep supporting the local film industry.
“Nigerians are proud of their film industry and it has done it for them without oil. Production and creative industry is the industry driving the world now; it has transformed all developed economies for-example Nigeria,” UCC director said.
Mr. Mutabazi also revealed that UCC has negotiated big partnerships with big players in the global industry to further bolster the sector. He urged the actors to polish their act, earn a decent living for themselves and make Uganda proud.
The UCC ED also urged Ugandans to Buy Uganda and Build Uganda by watching local movies.
Julianne Mweheire, UCC’s Director Industry Affairs, and Content commended the broadcast media to embrace the initiative through promoting local content.
She revealed that UCC is working with URSB to handle copyright issues through enforcement also with other relevant government bodies.
“Let’s endeavor to promote Uganda as an ideal film industry destination, this platform provides an opportunity to display their local content and to create business linkages. Pay-TV has embraced local content. I commend media houses for prioritizing local film. UCC will continue to support the film industry,” she said.
Ms. Mweheire UCC is training is local filmmakers through workshops and forums to start engaging proper marketing and promotion of their content and to make films for targeted markets.
The Head for PR and International Relations at UCC, Mr. Ibrahim Kibuuka Bbossa, said the UCC is joining the private sector to develop Uganda’s film industry through offering training opportunities to filmmakers.
He said that the objective of this initiative is to help Ugandan filmmakers to produce quality work which can find market both locally, regionally and internationally while also helping them benefit from their own works. Bossa adds that with the production of good quality works, the country also stands to
