Youth-led thriller, winner of Best Feature Film at Uganda Film Festival, secures international distribution

(Kampala) - The thriller You May Kiss the Bride Goodbye took home four awards at the 13th edition of the Uganda Film Festival, including the night's top award, Best Feature Film, resulting in talks for international distribution.

The film entered the Festival - the largest of its kind in the country, attracting thousands of filmgoers - as the most nominated production of the year with 14 nominations. It secured top wins in the following categories:

• Best Feature Film: UGX 10 million cash and international festival exposure worth UGX 20million
• Best Director: UGX 8 million cash and international festival exposure worth UGX 20 million
• Best Makeup: UGX 5 million cash and festival exposure/equipment worth UGX 10 million
• Best Costume: UGX 5 million cash and festival exposure/equipment worth UG X 10 million

The recognition marks a milestone for the Uganda Business Acceleration for Young Entrepreneurs in the Film Sector project, also known as Opportunities Are Here, an initiative of the International Trade Centre (ITC) funded by the European Union.

Building on this momentum, the filmmakers have signed a distribution agreement with Okada Media, which is currently negotiating distribution deals to bring the Ugandan feature to international audiences.

Rather than a traditional film production, the project operated as an intensive, hands-on incubator. Seven emerging talents - including scriptwriters, actors, directors and producers - were selected to participate in the Opportunities Are Here Creative Camp. The programme brought in top industry professionals to mentor the youth through a team-based, real-world movie production.

The initiative provided comprehensive end-to-end support across three core pillars:

• Specialized training and mentorship: Direct guidance from industry veterans across the entire lifecycle, covering story development, script labs, production and post-production.
• Practical on-set collaboration: The seven creators operated as a production team, acquiring real-world experience in department coordination, problem-solving and set management.
• Market readiness and business strategy: Beyond production techniques, participants gained business skills, festival positioning and distribution strategies to build sustainable careers.

'Winning Best Feature Film proves that when you equip youth with specialized skills, mentorship and real market opportunities, we don't just participate in the industry. We lead it,' said co-producer Elly E. Debuni, speaking on behalf of the trainees.

Notes for the editor

Media assets and links:

• Watch the trailer
• Download photos of the award winners: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
• See the movie poster
• Project details:

Director: Drake Steven Makanga

Trainees who wrote, co-directed and produced the film: Kahbuya Vanessa (Kvan), Kavuma Vieri, Nodryn Evanci Kabuye, Elly E. Debuni, Illungole Emmanuel, Nsiima Chloe, Manirahari Colline

Industry professionals who served as mentors: Loukman Ali, Creative Director; Joel Tugaineyo, Co-producer; Alex Ireeta, Director of Photography

About ITC - The International Trade Centre is the joint agency of the World Trade Organization and the United Nations. ITC assists small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies to become more competitive in global markets, thereby contributing to sustainable economic development within the frameworks of the Aid-for-Trade agenda and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information, visit https://www.intracen.org.

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Media contact

Ms. Susanna Pak
Senior Strategic Communications Officer
Office of the Executive Director
International Trade Centre
Email: [email protected]

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