KAMPALA —Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has received 60 applications from filmmakers seeking financial support to propel their projects, the Content Development Support Programme Evaluation Committee has been told.
Addressing members of the Evaluation Committee during their inauguration meeting at the UCC Head Office on Friday, May 14, 2021, the Ag. Executive Director Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo said the Commission has listened to the industry’s cry for support.
Led by filmmaker, author and professor of Literature and Film at Makerere University, Sr. Dominic Dipio, the five-member committee also has film industry players Judith Adong and Philip Luswata, as well as Claire Mugabi of Uganda Tourism Board and Collin Asiimwe of Multichoice Uganda.
The Committee is charged with independently processing the 60 applications and recommending the most deserving among them for funding.
The seed fund, the Committee heard, has Shs 700m at its disposal although UCC has initiated partnerships with various stakeholders in a bid to secure more funds to support the initiative.
Explaining the genesis of the Content Development Support Programme, the Ag. Executive Director said that as the Commission worked tooth and nail to grow and improve local content through initiatives such as the Uganda Film Festival, feedback from the industry pointed to a gap in funding.
The Commission thus decided to come up with a programme to support potentially great projects that are held back by the lack of resources required to take them to the next level.
“We have listened to the industry asking for support,” Ms Kaggwa Sewankambo said.
“We are now in your hands; help us to find that product that needs our support,” she added.
The Content Development Support Programme is an initiative dedicated to supporting the audio-visual industry in Uganda. Through this initiative, production companies can seek support for the development of creative content for film, television and digital media, including feature films, short films, animations, documentaries and television dramas.
“It is envisaged that through the support provided by this programme, Ugandans will be able to create employment opportunities, generate revenue, acquire skills, promote and develop audiences for local content,” the UCC Ag. Executive Director explained.
The intervention, which is in line with the Uganda Local Audio-Visual Content Development Strategy 2020-25, aims to achieve the following objectives:
Increase competitiveness of Uganda’s audio-visual content both at home and abroad.
Boost production of audio-visual content to increase the volume and diversity of content.
Create employment opportunities in the audio-visual industry through increased and coordinated opportunities for content development.
Cultivate audiences for Ugandan audio-visual content.
Position, promote and market Uganda as a filming destination for international productions and co-productions.
In her brief remarks, Sr. Dipio thanked UCC for the confidence and trust placed in her “formidable” team and promised to deliver on the assignment.
The Evaluation Committee is charged with developing scoring criteria to assess the submitted projects and make appropriate recommendations to UCC.
In assessing the projects, the Evaluation Committee is to look out for originality, feasibility, uniqueness and relevance, among other attributes.
