For 10 days, cinema halls across Uganda will turn into a showcase of local storytelling as the Uganda Film Festival returns with one of its largest nationwide screening programmes yet.
Starting May 25 through June 4, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), through the Uganda Film Festival, will screen more than 50 Ugandan films at major cinemas in Kampala and other parts of the country.
The initiative is aimed at expanding the reach of local productions and bringing Ugandan stories closer to wider audiences.
The screenings will take place at Century Cinemax Acacia, Century Cinemax Arena Mall, Century Cinemax Metroplex, EMT Cinemas, and Numax Cinemas.
This year’s programme features a mix of feature films, documentaries, short films, and animations, reflecting a Ugandan film industry that continues to grow in confidence and ambition.
The selected productions span a variety of genres, including family drama, action, thrillers, social commentary, and animation.
Among the films expected to attract audiences are Longing to Belong, Mfuko The Duffle Bag, Waka Waka, Slum Bomber, The Blind Family, Maama Wange, You May Kiss the Bride Goodbye, Against All Odds, The Unforgivable, Batatu, Ex-Convict, Blind Lover, and Who Killed Captain Alex.
Several filmmakers have already delivered their productions to participating cinemas ahead of the screenings, signalling growing anticipation among both creators and audiences.
For many filmmakers, the festival presents more than visibility. It also offers a rare opportunity for local productions to secure theatrical exhibition in commercial cinema spaces, an area that has historically remained difficult for many independent Ugandan filmmakers.
Over the years, the Uganda Film Festival has evolved beyond an awards platform into a broader development initiative for the country’s creative industry through training, mentorship, exhibition opportunities, and audience engagement.
This year’s edition will also place greater focus on audience participation through the Viewers’ Choice category, where cinema-goers will vote for their favourite films after the screenings.
Films competing in the category include Maama Wange, Adui, Longing to Belong, Waka Waka, and You May Kiss the Bride Goodbye.
The category is expected to test not only the quality of storytelling, but also how strongly films resonate with everyday audiences — a key factor for an industry seeking stronger commercial sustainability.
Backed by UCC and partners including MultiChoice Uganda, the screenings come at a time when Uganda’s film industry continues pushing for wider audiences, stronger distribution channels, and increased investment in local productions.
For audiences, the festival offers an opportunity to engage with stories shaped by Ugandan realities, languages, humour, and lived experiences. For filmmakers, it presents another chance to demonstrate that Ugandan cinema can command space on the big screen.
As cinema lights dim across participating venues later this month, the festival will once again place Ugandan storytelling at the centre of the country’s cultural conversation.
