For ten days, Uganda’s cinemas will become a meeting point for the country’s growing film industry as the Uganda Film Festival returns with one of its biggest nationwide screening programs yet.
Beginning May 25 through June 4, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), through the Uganda Film Festival (UFF), will screen more than 50 Ugandan films across major cinema halls in Kampala and beyond, continuing a push to place local stories on commercial screens and in front of wider audiences.
The screenings will take place at Century Cinemax Acacia, Century Cinemax Arena Mall, Century Cinemax Metroplex, EMT Cinemas, and Numax Cinemas, bringing together feature films, documentaries, short films, and animations under one festival program.
At the heart of the screenings is an industry increasingly confident in telling Ugandan stories at scale. This year’s lineup stretches across genres and audiences, from family dramas and thrillers to action films, social commentary, and animation.
Among the titles expected to draw attention are Longing to Belong, Mfuko The Duffle Bag, Waka Waka, Slum Bomber, The Blind Family, Maama Wange, My Faults, Am Sorry Mama, The Twins (Abalongo), You May Kiss the Bride Goodbye, Weak End, Adui, Boomerang, Against All Odds, Ekitiibwa Ky’Olubugo, The Unforgivable, Craw, When Power Turns, Batatu, Infinity, Ex-Convict, Blind Lover, Amara and the Spirit of Nyamagunda, Kalooli, Nyota Force, Muwawa, The Adventure of Pablo, Who Killed Captain Alex: The Russian Massey, Queen Kitami, and Mother Tongue.
Several of the films have already been officially delivered to participating cinemas ahead of the screenings, signaling growing anticipation from filmmakers and audiences alike. For many filmmakers, the screenings represent more than just visibility. They offer a rare opportunity to experience theatrical exhibition in commercial cinema spaces, something that has historically remained difficult for independent Ugandan productions.
Over the years, the Uganda Film Festival has evolved beyond an awards platform into a wider development ecosystem for the country’s creative industry. Through training, mentorship, exhibition opportunities, and audience engagement, the festival has increasingly positioned itself as a bridge between filmmakers and mainstream audiences.
This year’s edition also introduces renewed focus on audience participation through the Viewers’ Choice category, where cinema-goers will vote for their favorite film after screenings. Competing titles 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 storytelling quality, but also how deeply films connect with everyday audiences, an important marker for an industry seeking stronger commercial sustainability.
Backed by UCC and partners including MultiChoice Uganda, the screenings arrive at a time when Uganda’s film industry continues to push for larger audiences, stronger distribution channels, and greater investment in local productions.
For audiences, the screenings offer an opportunity to engage with stories shaped by Ugandan realities, languages, humor, and social experiences. For filmmakers, it is another chance to prove that Ugandan cinema can command space on the big screen.
As the lights dim across participating cinemas later this month, the festival will once again place Ugandan storytelling at the center of the country’s cultural conversation.