The festival that drew quite a number of revellers, closed on Friday with a performance from Elijah Kitaka, incorpo-
rated film with music. PHOTO/ANDREW KAGGWA
Film festivals usually come off as niche events, the kind that only interest cinephiles. Yet for such events to convert non-film lovers, more is needed.
And none of the film events have managed to pull this off in the past two years, like the Ngalabi Short Film Festival. Last year, through their partnership with DocuBox, they delivered a Ugandan version of Shorts, Shorts, and Shots, a funfilled short film exhibition where the dress code in shorts and liquor shots are served.
The experiment with the fun filled exhibition paid off and attracted a large number of revellers who, on any other day, would not pay attention to the film. This year, they created a mix of music and film.
Thus, even when the programming was open as early as 5pm, much of that time was for socializing and for people to catch up and meet new people. At 7pm, screenings started and went on up to 10pm, then the after party would start until dawn.
But it was not just the programming, even the aesthetics, such as the lounge, where most people spent much of the time within screenings, the low seats and tables, fabric cloth covers, and the LED strip lights; it was laid out as a midnight picnic, very inviting.
This year, out of 25 films showcased at the festival, 10 were Ugandan by directors such as Ali Musoke, Liz Karungi, and Alisanyukirwa Joy Matovu, Aganza Kisaka, and Raymond Malinga.
Unlike the past editions, where entries have mainly been the latest Ugandan short films, this year there were many entries of films older than a year or two, something that has been blamed on the inactivity of many filmmakers the past 24 months.
Power of Film
It is believed that with MultiChoice commissioning series and feature films, filmmakers have been making less independent projects, with many concentrating on making series and TV feature dramas. In fact, most of the entries this year were supported by initiatives such as Opportunities Are Here, Yenze Theatre Conservatoire, and Disney, among others. Much as this is a good thing, it is also a sign of filmmakers slowing down a lot. Short films are a cornerstone of learning as a filmmaker; if they are not making many at the moment, it only means there will be a drought of feature films and probably producers in the near future.
The films screening, however, were worth the time; they explored themes of neo-colonialism, identity, and the power of imagination.
In fact, on day one, three of the films, The Super Detective, Dolapo, and Stero, heavily explored the power of imagination. Stereo by Tevin Kimathi looked at the neocolonial nature of Kenyan schools that enforce English over Kiswahili and a boy, Bruce, whose rebellious spirit and imaginary alter ego are against this system.
Liz Karungi’s Super Detective, staring Patrick Nkakalukanyi and Diana Kahunde, followed the story of Ivan, whose best friend, a detective, was not real. Karungi says the film explores children’s power of imagination and why they should be allowed to have the power to dream and imagine rather than being stopped.
This year, according to the festival curator, Joel Tugaineyo, the festival expanded to reach out to Africans in the diaspora as well.
The Friday screenings also coincided with the Kazizi Moto series nomination in the SAFTAs for the Best Animation. Raymond Malinga’s Herderboy is part of Kazizi Moto.
The festival closed on Friday, and as this year has been, incorporating film with music, they ended with a performance of Elijah Kitaka.