By Kalungi Kabuye
Daisy Masembe and Loukman Ali became only the third and fourth Ugandans to win at Africa’s biggest film awards, the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs), held in Lagos, Nigeria over the weekend.
Masembe won the Best MultiChocie Talent Factory category for her film Ngaito, while Ali’s The Girl In The Yellow Jumper won Best Movie East Africa.
“I feel so blessed for my name to have been read on such a huge stage,” Masembe said. “It made me think back on the process of getting that film made and appreciate each and every cast and crew member that pulled their weight, one way or another. I give glory to God above all else.”
Although dozens of Ugandan filmmakers have been nominated in the AMVCAs over the years in various categories, only Mathew Nabwiso had actually won, in 2013 as Best Supporting Actor in the film A Good Catholic Girl. It was also the first time a Ugandan film had beaten competition from Kenya filmmakers for the East African movie prize.
Masembe won the Best MultiChocie Talent Factory category for her film Ngaito
“I am ecstatic for the Ugandan team, two wins for our Ugandans!” said Joan Semanda, Multichoice’s PR & Communications Manager. “I am certain the growth in wins is a direct output of the growth in our Ugandan film industry. By winning half of the awards we were nominated for, I hope Ugandans can see that their hard work is paying back.”
Unfortunately credit for The Girl In The Yellow Jumper was given to American actor/director Morocco Omari, and not Loukman Ali.
Semanda said it might have been an error because Omari probably submitted the film for the awards, given Ali’s ambivalence to awards generally.
“Morocco was an Executive Producer on the film, he had zero creative input,” Ali said. “It should’ve been corrected but it does not really matter, it is the whole team that won, and we’re grateful for that.”
CORRECTION NOTE: In the New Vision article Ugandan Filmmakers Head to African Oscars on Friday, May 13, Daisy Masembe was erroneously referred to as Daisy Asiimwe. We apologise for the error.
