All set for Pearl Film Festival

Not many entertainment enthusiasts will raise eye brows when I mention people like Asuman Lubowa, Nickolas Kayiwa, Miriam Kubita or Esther Bwanika. These are people from a relatively young and vastly leaping entertainment genre – the film industry.
For an art form that has not been truly accepted by the general public, film may go down as the most resilient entertainment form in Uganda.
After a couple of promising film platforms like Kampala Amakula Film Festival failing, and the Maisha Lab almost changing base to Rwanda, you would think the industry would be ailing, but there strongly soldiering on.
With the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) preparing the regulations that require Ugandan TVs to broadcast 70% local content, of this 40% to independent production, film is set for further progress.
It may have been because of this foresight that Moses Magezi founded the Pearl International Film Festival (PIFF) four years ago.
The film cares for 80% local films and even without any corporate bankroll, the organisers have provided the film fraternity quality extravaganzas that come with a breath of fresh air from the usual Hollywood storylines.
On Friday, 15th, the fourth edition of PIFF was launched at Hotel Astoria in Kampala. This also acted as the nomination night for films that will be vying for accolades come the last week of June.
This time round however, unlike the past years where the festival used to take place in one place, the organisers are spreading it this time round thus the festival will be taking place in two phases and will largely target Bibandas and the downtown.
Starting next Friday, screenings will start across Kampala, Jinja, Masaka and Mbarara, which will go on till June 14th.
During nominations the tension and fear was high from film makers though, the absence of some faces was loud.
The Clan’s Wife, an upcoming film about HIV/AIDS pandemic in western Uganda during the mid ‘80s, was the surprise favorite as it picked up nominations in the Best Feature Film, Director, Script, Actor and Actress categories.
Close in the awards chase is the compelling Luganda drama, Ensasagge. The film about the emotional journey of a girl as she desperately searches for her long-lost twin sister boasts nine nods, including Best Feature Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Other films with multiple nominations include: Broken Silence (six), Run the World (five), Ensi Eno (three) and Secrets of High School Teenagers (three).
Over 20 films have been nominated for the festival this year and with new categories such as thriller and action, many can’t wait for the festival to start.

Full Nomination List for Piff 2014 Awards

Best Feature Film

1. Ensasagge
2. The Clan’s Wife
3. Run the World
4. Broken Silence
5. Ensi Eno

Best Director

1. Paul Okurut & James Babalanda (Broken Silence)
2. Ahmed Lubowa & Bava Kaweesi (Ensasagge)
3. Charles Tyaba (Ensi Eno)
4. Farooq Mutebi (Run the World)
5. Hassan Mageye (The Clan’s Wife)

Best Screenplay

1. Secrets of High School Teenagers (Zainab Aziz Patel)
2. Ensasagge (Jennifer Nakulima)
3. Run the World (Joan Ndagire)
4. The Clan’s Wife (Hassan Mageye)
5. Broken Silence (Paul Okurut & James Babalanda)

Best Edit

1. Lenya (Esteleo Kidde)
2. The Clan’s Wife (Williams Bbosa)
3. Broken Silence (Paul Okurut)
4. Village Girl (J.B Edit)
5. The Phantom Tales (Denis Dhikusooka)

Best Actor

1. Bbosa Sserunkuuma (Abasama)
2. Jamada Kafeero (Enkomerero)
3. Goodman Ofla (Clef)
4. Yasin Lubowa (The Clan’s Wife)
5. Jakira Suudi (Bwebatyo)

Best Supporting Actor

1. Bbosa Sserunkuuma (Enkomerero)
2. Hassan Mageye (Village Girl)
3. Tonny Mukisa (Omukwano Kyeki?)
4. Prince Joe Nakibinge (The Clan’s Wife)
5. Ahabsalam Khuzeo (The Clan’s Wife)

Best Actress

1. Mariam Kyazze (Broken Silence)
2. Jennifer Nakulima (Ensasagge)
3. Faridah Kuteesa (The Clan’s Wife)
4. Sofia Kawooya (Enyonta Etavumulwa)
5. Nampala Claire (Run the World)

Best Supporting Actress

1. Elizabeth Kobusingye (Ensasagge)
2. Jennifer Nakulima (Enyonta Etavumulwa)
3. Rashida Namulondo (The Clan’s Wife)
4. Joy Agaba (Secrets of High School Teenagers)
5. Quin Kigozi (Find Me a Wife)

Best Makeup & Costume Designer

1. Shakira Kibirige (The Clan’s Wife)
2. Shakira Kibirige (Bwebatyo)
3. Mariam Ndagire & Nuluat Nalubega (Ensasagge)
4. Ponsiano Mugisha (The Document)
5. Damali Orishaba & Joan Nangendo (Trespass)

Best Sound

1. Run the World (Bobich Media)
2. Ensasagge (Mohammed Zamunye)
3. Bisobera (Jb Edit)
4. Mr. Inspector (Yusuf Kinene)
5. Sakitegeeza (Charles Tyaba)

Best Original Music Score

1. Enkomerero (Ivan Kayongo)
2. Bisobera (JB Edit)
3. The Clan’s Wife (Eli Arkis)
4. Akamuli (Jargezi Kibali, Hassan Mukasa, Joan Ndagire & Madina Nassali)
5. Broken Silence (William Ekudo & Amos Edeu)

Best Director of Photography

1. Bobich Sserunjoji (Ensasagge)
2. Daniel Kiggundu (Once Upon a Time in Africa)
3. Yusuf Kinene (Akamuli)
4. Rowland Rwamusinguzi (Secrets of High School Teenagers)
5. Mohammed Kyeyune (Saakitegeera)

Best Set Design

1. Ensasagge (Mariam Ndagire & Nuluat Nalubega)
2. Ensi Eno (Dardani Kyeyune)
3. The Clan’s Wife (Joshua Wasswa)
4. Breaking the Mesh (Joseph Ntesibe)
5. The Phantom Tales (Norman Dhikusooka)

Best Short Film

1. Me Myself and I
2. Ettaka
3. Campus Scandal
4. It’s My Cellphone
5. Crazy World

Best Student Film

1. Breaking the Mesh (Kennedy Kihire, Mak University)
2. Kapeke Town (Daniel Semulema, K’la Film School)
3. The Phone Snatcher (Rachael Komushana, K’la Film School)
4. On the Line (Joshua Waiswa, K’la Film School)
5. In Just Hours (Osama Mukwaya, MNFPAC)

Best Action Film

1. Clot
2. Crazy World
3. Rescue Team

Best Thriller/Horror Film

1. Chicago Bastards
2. The Phantom Tales
3. Leenya
4. The Mutilation
5. Trespass

*Best Animation [Received certificate and mention]

1. Drewft

*Best Documentary [Received certificate and mention]

1. The Reign of the Nation
2. A book for Every Child

Buddo SS takes a leap with movie premiere

This is your embedded relatively young movie critic, reporting from somewhere near the school library at Buddo SS, and it’s all about adolescence, puberty and that vital stage when you literally feel you own the world – your teachers hate you because your dope… and for some reason your mum and dad’s ideas are way outdated.
That’s the breaking story of a teen drama, Reform that premiered at the National Theatre last Tuesday.
As a critic, you may choose to get overboard by dropping staff that didn’t impress in a movie but Reform is different. Not the biggest premiere I’ve seen but the smartest and by far, the most emotional one.
From the innocent faces of the movie’s young cast, to their sheer amusement of being interviewed by the press, the scenery at this movie premiere was as humbling, captivating and yet corrupting.
Then there was that documentary of the making of the film, totally made us fall in love with the characters before we even watched the movie.



Flanked by their parents , guardians and friends, the young boys and girls seemed to be living their dreams way earlier, most of the times they left the excitement of meeting more renowned actors like Felix Bwanika, Jayant Maru and Edwin Mukalazi overtake them.
Despite a theatre warning that mobile phones have to be switched off or in silent, the predominantly young crowd, probably owning their first android couldn’t take any of that, before the movie screened, they kept texting, chatting and taking selfies, from the upper section of the auditorium, you could think the projector beam was hitting a disco ball – too many little screens.
But this seems a good sign for Reform, because we can already assume most of these teens will purchase the film on DVD to see it in an environment where their voice and text conversations won’t be hindered by some adult always reminding them to be quiet.
The lead character, Kato (Mark Katamba) is the famous guy around campus; he dates one of the most beautiful girls in school, Stella (Edith Victor Kabazalwe). Kato is a bully; he lives like he has shares in Buddo SS - the school in the movie.
Kato and his crew get in a fight with a naughty boy who reports the case to the warden master Mr. Adams (Deception’s Charles Kaboggoza) good with solid punishments. Kato covers for the friends to survive expulsion and ends up serving several handy punishments that put his fame on the line.
A series of events leads to Kato being forced into the readers club, where his paths cross with a born again (read insignificant nobody) girl Grace (Justine Namuganda).
As you may know, for many of these high school movies, the insignificant girl in the end turns out being more beautiful than the famous shots. Like that, they read Shakespeare stories into love.
The Joseph Sebagala movie boosts of a very good picture that will definitely settle it into one of the best that have been done here. However, the actors may have been nervous that we somehow failed to feel their joy or pains in the story – there are times their expression was just flat, but I guess this is because they are first timers; they have a lot of room to improve.
But it wasn’t all bad with the acting, Kaboggoza definitely put on the best his performance in this movie, most of the times he reminded me of my own high school quarter master.
One of the actors in the movie happens to be real life teacher at the school and her performance was worth noting.
According to the Buddo SS headteacher Lawrence Muwonge, film is an upcoming industry in the country and its good to train his students to get ready for it once they are done with school; “we want parents to embrace talent as a source of income.”
Reform is a good film with a remarkable picture, sound and story, the only undoing to it was just that all the music scores were done by Kenneth Mugabi, this makes the film sound like a very long music video of a person.

Serabi band rocks Doa doa

Like a chuckle of fire wood at boot camps, the laughter and smell of happiness. It’s the sound of Serabi band from Kenya – that vaguely witchy clash of Maddox Ssematimba’s Reggae, Eric Wainana’s Afro Beat, Kofi Olomide’s Lingala and somewhere forming a marriage with common pop cultures like Rock and roll – all this comes on top of lead singer Nelson Mandela’s (yes, that’s his name) husky but strong vocals.
The band was performing at National Theatre last week, during the opening ceremony of the third annual network programme Doa Doa.
The striking thing about their performance was a fact that even when none of their songs was in English, they surprisingly got each one of us on our feet.
It was that sort of a perfect concert where people don’t turn up to listen to a particular song by the main cast and then head for the car parks – a very common syndrome that has haunted many crossover success like Kenya’s Jaguar, Tanzania’s Mr. Nice or even Jamaican duos of Brick and Lace and RDX.
No, this crowd was here to experience all the romp, rumba and undulating songs about freedom, never giving up and togetherness that have made them the next force in East African music.
The group of eight was formed in 2005, comprising of slum kids - Isabella Were, Peter Mbau, Harun Waceke, Adam Mwadama, Bernard Oduor, Anthony Kimangu, John Maluni and Nelson Mandela, then aged between 11 and 13.
They have since gone on to cement their position as one of the most talented Afro Fusion bands in Kenya through their imagination, vision and creation.
Without a hit in Uganda, the group was going to face a hard time on that stage and making matters worse, the Umeme connived with the sound system to develop certain habbits, but this didn’t stop them. Instead, they delivered a professional polished kind of pin point precision expected of a well-traveled band.
On the song most of us sang along to, whose title we suspect was Sio Lazima, a bare feet Mandela walked towards the crowd and split the group’s story in both Swahilli and English – the struggles of growing up less priviledged, not being the best in school, and all those things that make girls cry in movies. That performance was engaging, electric and emotional at the same time.
Their performance may have been brief – at two hours, but it showed why Kenyan music stillleads the East African pack. They are not afraid to experiment.
“if only our local artistes can borrow a leaf from these boys, our music will saved,” said one of the revelers at the show.
Earlier on, Lawrence Okello had put on a spirited performance alongside Micheal Bazibu, as they took us on a journey of traditional instruments from Uganda.
After four days of interactions, workshops and showcases, the Doa Doa arts market was concluded on Saturday with performances by Qwela, Grace Matata and Swahilli Ally among others.

New film addresses rebellious teenagers

For a long time many education activists have attacked the current school carriculums for being too serious. In a rather distasteful tone, they remind us of days when schools like Old Kampala fed the national football team with fresh talent and as well as others like Namasagali, Buddo Kings College and St. Balikudembe Mitala Maria providing the entertainment scene with reknown names like Seanice Kacungira, Ngoni duo and Afri-Talent’s Bwanika Charles.
Such days are long gone since schools these days only care about academics and later appearing in newspapers when results are released.
However some people like joseph Kenneth Ssebagala, a Ugandan film maker with Zenkens Films is thinking different.
After experiencing vibrant arts at Buddo Secondary School in the early 2000s, he thought it a better idea to revisit the school that made him when he was making his debut short film, Nico the Donkey for Raising Voices.
Unfortunately, the secondary section didn’t have the character he needed thus the school directors pushed him to work with their sister primary section. As a result, the film was screened at many festivals and even going on as far as becoming one of the first local films screened at the state of art New century Cinema at Acacia mall.
Because of this success, Ssebagala gathered more confidence to ask the school management to let him do a full length film, this time with the secondary section and that was the genesis of his Reform.
The story follows a high school celebrity struggling to regain his fame after serving a couple of handy work punishments and being forced into the readers’ (losers) club.
The storyline is fresh and quite breath taking, Ssebagala tries his hands on a rather delicate matter that few artistes have tackled with grace – teenage relationships.
This is the only Ugandan film you will watch without such relationships being demonized. judging by the two and half minute trailer, the films lashes out at unruly characters students tend to look at as ‘cool’ in school but in turn, calls for health teenage relationships mostly built on progress, trust and religious values.
Most of the actors in the movie are Buddo SS students who were obviously getting their first acting gig – were they impressive? That’s a question we shall probably answer on Tuesday 13th when the film premieres at the National Theatre.
To boost their confidence nevertheless, the director brought on board some famous faces like Deception’s Charles Kabogoza, who portrays the no nonsense boys warden aptly known as Mr. Adams.
The film can be credited for a very good picture and shoots, according to Ssebagala, this is just one of the first projects he’s doing with Buddo SS but more are yet to come, who knows probably after taking the music, sports and academic scene by storm, the school may now be targeting film.