Masaka, Mbarara's filmmakers win cash prizes

Ahead of the 10 anniversary of the Uganda Film Festival on June 2,  the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) in conjunction with MultiChoice Uganda have given regional filmmakers to showcase their talent and compete for prizes.

Winners Masaka and Mbarara regions walked away with cash prizes of Shs 2 million, while the first runners-up took home Shs 1 million per region.

The film competition pitted filmmakers from the north, east, central, and western Uganda regions. The competitions focused on short films that capture the unique stories and experiences of people living in Uganda, providing a glimpse into the flora and fauna of the tourist attractions in the regions as well as culture, shared values and a rich history.

During the film workshop in Masaka, Eng Irene Kaggwa Ssewankambo the executive director of UCC said it was impressive to see that regional filmmakers have progressed and gained remarkable skills over the years.

“With collaborations and partnerships with entities like MultiChoice Uganda, we are confident that our industry in due time will favourably compete with international industries like Hollywood, Nollywood or Bollywood.”

Rinaldi Jamugisa, PR & communications manager, MultiChoice said they are thrilled to join UCC on the journey to empower local filmmakers and promote the growth of the local film industry as a testament to their commitment to investing in local content.

“As part of our hyper-local strategy, our aim is to nurture the next generation of Ugandan filmmakers and to create more opportunities for local talent to shine through initiatives like the regional film competitions and we are excited to see the creativity and talent that emerges from these competitions," Jamugisa noted.

Meanwhile, Brian Mulondo, local content marketing manager MultiChoice educated and informed the filmmakers on how best they can earn and reap from content creation and encouraged them to formalize their businesses, register them officially and adopt the habit of running professional film production houses.

“If we are to take on your content, MultiChoice mandates that we should work with fully registered law-abiding filmmakers. I, therefore, urge each of you to register your production houses and get into the habit of transacting as professionals,” Mulondo noted.

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