KAMPALA — Veteran Ugandan actor, playwright, director and producer Andrew Benon Kibuuka has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Uganda Film Festival Awards Gala, recognising more than four decades of contribution to the country’s theatre and film industries.
The award was presented by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) during the gala, which brought together filmmakers, actors, writers, producers, technicians and other players in Uganda’s creative industry.
Kibuuka, a co-founder of the historic Bakayimbira Drama Actors, has been one of the enduring figures in Uganda’s performing arts, building a career that has crossed theatre and film at a time when the country’s creative industries were still developing.
His recognition places a spotlight not only on an individual career but also on the generations of Ugandan artists who built the foundations of the country’s film and theatre industries with limited resources and few formal platforms.
The Uganda Film Festival, launched in 2013, has itself evolved into one of the country’s major platforms for celebrating local filmmaking.
Opening the awards gala, UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo said the festival had grown considerably over its 13 years, with increased film submissions, improving production quality and greater international recognition for Ugandan productions.
Thembo said the festival was a celebration of everyone contributing to the industry. “The Uganda Film Festival celebrates the talent, creativity and dedication of everyone contributing to Uganda’s film industry, from writers and directors to actors, technicians and audiences,” Thembo said.
He identified technology, audiences, piracy and business as four areas that would determine whether Uganda’s film industry could move to the next level.
On technology, Thembo urged filmmakers to embrace smartphones, digital editing, streaming platforms and artificial intelligence while retaining professionalism, ethics and strong storytelling.
“Filmmakers should embrace smartphones, digital editing, streaming and AI while maintaining professionalism, ethics and strong storytelling,” he said.
But technological change, he argued, would mean little without an audience willing to consume and pay for Ugandan stories.
Thembo called on Ugandans to watch, recommend, share and pay for local productions, saying audiences were central to building a sustainable film ecosystem. “Ugandans should watch, recommend, share and pay for local content to strengthen the film ecosystem,” he said.
He also warned that piracy continued to undermine the ability of filmmakers to earn from their work. For an industry where production can require substantial investments in people, equipment, locations and post-production, the unauthorised distribution of films can turn creative success into financial loss.
Thembo urged filmmakers and other stakeholders to take intellectual property protection seriously. “We need to protect creative works so filmmakers can benefit from their intellectual property,” he said.
The UCC chief also challenged filmmakers to think beyond filmmaking itself and develop the business structures necessary to turn creative works into sustainable enterprises.
He urged practitioners to understand rights management, distribution, sponsorship, advertising, streaming and international sales, treating films as intellectual property assets rather than simply artistic products.
The message was reflected in the range of awards presented during the gala, which recognised not only performers but also writers, editors, sound designers, production designers, costume designers, animators and documentary filmmakers.
Winners:
Ayeny T. Steve and Natasha Grace Gashumba won Best Screenplay for ADUI, a film centred on Lagum, a game ranger caught in a dangerous web of accusations after being blamed for the death of a notorious poacher’s son.
Florence Mariserena won Best Actress in a Feature Film for Small Gods, while Michael Wawuyo Jr took Best Actor in a Feature Film for The Unforgivable.
The Unforgivable, which examines men’s involvement in family planning and reproductive health, also earned Simon Agola the Best Sound Designer award.
In television, Diana Kahunde won Best Actress in a TV Drama/Series for Choices, while Derrick Baka was recognised as Best Actor in a TV Drama/Series for Damalie.
The Best Regional Film award went to No/Nedda, representing the Central Region. The short film by Daug Mulumba explores the impact of malaria through performances by Cyrus Bugaba and Jemimah Nyiramugisha.
Mariam Ndagire Kizito’s Ekitiibwa Kyo’Lubugo won Best Documentary Film, while Denis Junior Dhikusooka’s Amara and the Spirit of Nyamagunda was named Best Animation Film.
The Best Short Film award went to Infinity, a musical short created by the Nsimbi duo and featuring GNL Zamba and Miriam Tamar. The film explores spiritual awakening and African culture through music and visual art.
Production and technical categories also highlighted the increasingly specialised nature of Uganda’s film industry.
Roka Stars, Magoola Jotham and Tumusiime Robert Quintes won Best Production Design for Waka-Waka. Elton Gyaza won Best Costume Design for You May Kiss the Bride Goodbye.
Okoth Peter and Alibet Joshua won Best Post-Production/Editing for ADUI.
Meanwhile, MultiChoice Uganda, a CANAL+ company, was recognised as a Festival Champion for its partnership with the Uganda Film Festival and contribution to creating platforms through which Ugandan stories and talent can reach wider audiences.
The gala also featured a performance by veteran musician Sir Mesach Semakula.
For Kibuuka, however, the Lifetime Achievement Award carried a different weight. It was recognition of a career stretching across the long, difficult history of Uganda’s performing arts — from theatre stages and locally produced dramas to an emerging film industry now negotiating streaming platforms, artificial intelligence and international markets.
Thembo said UCC remained committed to supporting the industry’s growth and congratulated the nominees and winners.
He also had a message for those who left the ceremony without a trophy: an award, he said, should not be mistaken for the end of an artist’s journey.
“An award is not the end of your journey, but an invitation to achieve even more,” Thembo said.