COMMUNITY-BASED FILMMAKER TRAINING AND SUPPORT

Kabale, Uganda

Set in the hills of the Western Region of Uganda, Kabale District was once referred to by Winston Churchill as the “Switzerland of Africa”. We've funded and partnered with local charity Oweitu Film Foundation to work towards making Kabale a regional film capital. When we first started in 2017, our program was one of the only formal filmmaker training initiatives in Uganda, and we’re proud to say that there are now so many cameras in Kabale the no one even bats an eye anymore when they see Oweitu’s members out filming. We work with Oweitu to support filmmaker training, mentorship, and access to a staffed office containing computers, internet, textbooks, and filmmaking equipment.

Kisumu, Kenya

Kisumu is Kenya’s third-largest city, sitting on the shores of beautiful Lake Victoria. We’ve funded and partnered with local NGO Naweza Film Foundation, while also collectively collaborating with the regional government, via Governor Anyang' Nyong'o (father of Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong’o) and his Minister of Arts, Culture and Sports, and the national government, via the Kenya Film Commission. Naweza is based in the Manyatta Slums, and with our support, has further stretched the impact of our resources to support and work with groups based in four other towns within the region. We work with Naweza to support filmmaker training, mentorship, and access to a staffed office containing computers, internet, textbooks, and filmmaking equipment.

SHORT FILM FUND

Any member of a United in Film partner organization is eligible to apply for funding to produce their short film. Those requesting funding must submit their script and budget to the partner organization for discussion and approval, following which it will be sent to United in Film for budgetary review and approval. As a grant, ownership and creative control of the project rests with the filmmaker!

East AFRICAN FILM & TELEVISION WORKSHOP

Working with the County Government of Kisumu, United in Film presented the first East African Film & Television Workshop in Kisumu, Kenya. The workshop brought together filmmakers from Uganda and Kenya, allowing them to learn and then develop projects together, with the goal of expanding the workshop over time to include more countries.

AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL

United in Film is a founding partner of the African Film Festival. The first annual festival was held in Kabale, Uganda in December 2018, opened by its Guest of Honour, the R.T. Honourable Prime Minister of Uganda, Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. The festival also welcomed Professor Peter Nyong’o, Governor of Kisumu, Kenya, and screened films from around Africa and the African diaspora. This December with bring the 6th Annual African Film Festival, which since 2022 has been held in Kisumu, Kenya. During the most recent edition, we welcomed guests from around East Africa, while hosting screenings, filmmaker workshops, open forums, a children’s morning and a closing evening awards celebration.

FILMMAKING YOUTH GROUP

United in Film Youth Groups are currently active in Kabale, Uganda, and Kisumu, Kenya, with more than 100 members aged 3 to 17. The group members participate in various training sessions throughout the year during their school breaks and on weekends. As well, nearly 40 youth are provided with financial support towards their primary and secondary school tuition fees and supplies.

PAID WORK OPPORTUNITIES

United in Film partners with private companies and other NGOs to provide paid work opportunities for students whereby they can apply their skills and continue to learn. Most recently, we worked with Butterfly Network to capture footage of an ultrasound training program in Nairobi, and with Bridge to Health to document their charity work on remote islands in Lake Victoria, Uganda.

GOVERNMENT ADVISORY

We have previously or are currently providing advisory services related to national indigenous and service production film industry capacity building and development, filmmaker training, and/or the global film industry to: the Uganda Communications Commission; the Rwanda Film Office, a project of the Rwanda Development Board’s Single Project Implementation Unit; and the County Government of Kisumu, Kenya.