By Hussein Kiganda
Uganda and Rwanda have agreed to work together on film projects following a successful meeting between Ugandan filmmakers, delegates from the Uganda Communications Commission(UCC), and Rwanda Film Office(RFO) on December 2, 2022, in Kigali-Rwanda.
The meeting followed the Discop TV and Film Market which was held as part of the 8th Mashariki Film Festival from November 26, to December 2.
The Rwanda Film Office under the Rwanda Development Board had invited all participants for a two-day meet and engage event with filmmakers and experts who had come for Discop from Africa’s audio-visual sector.
The UCC was represented by Paul Mukasa, the manager for Multimedia and Content Regulation and Gonzaga Gonza, the Senior Officer Film. Ugandan filmmakers were represented by Ronald Mubiru, the Chairman Uganda Film Association(UFA), Charlse Tyaba, the Secretary of UFA and the producers of Tembele and Kafa Coh, Morris Mugisha and Doreen Mirembe respectively.
The Rwandese delegates were Christian Rudahinyuka, the program manager of the Rwanda film office, Marie Voluenner, the advisor at RFO, and Bright Wuthe, the consultant at RFO.
Gonzaga Gonza told The Kampala Sun that the two parties agreed on strategies of collaboration between Uganda Communication Commission and the Rwanda Film Office as well as collaboration between Ugandan filmmaker’s and Rwandase filmmakers, and the entire East African region.
“The Rwanda Film Office has committed it’self to a good will environment for Ugandan film producers who will be willing to produce or co-produce film projects with counterparts in the Rwandese film industry,” Gonza said.
“This arrangement has been considered within an organized practitioners structural mechanism of the two sectors. The engagement looked at the fundamental role to be played by the governments in strengthening these collaborative arrangements,” Gonza added.
On November 29, 2022, two Ugandan feature films KAFA COH directed by Doreen Mirembe and Gilbert Lukalia, and TEMEBELE directed by Morris Mugisha and Joan Agaba were screened at Century Cinema in Kigali during the Mashariki festival.
