The Ugandan Film Festival sets out to celebrate the best of Ugandan cinema. The festival is a platform for all Ugandan filmmakers to showcase their work.

This year’s edition is such a big milestone as the festival will be marking a decade. The nominees in 24 categories were selected by a panel of judges led by Femi Odugbemi from Nigeria who has been the Chief Juror in past years.

Categories including Best Animation Film, Best Student Film, Best Documentary, Best TV Drama/Series, Best Male Actor in a TV Drama/Series, Best Female Actor in a TV Drama/Series, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Designer, Best Production Designer,  Best Screenplay and others

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Full List of NOMINEES:

Best Feature Film 

• The Passenger – Usama Mukwaya, Meddy Sserwadda, Hadijah Nakanjako
• Kafacoh – Doreen Mirembe, Khai Sam
• The Kitara Chronicles – Yiga Sadat, Kizito SudaisySebbowa
• Mukisa – Meme Kagga, Nana Kagga
• When You Become Me – Mathew Nabwiso

Best Film In Indigenous Language

• The Passenger – Usama Mukwaya, Meddy Sserwadda, Hadijah Nakanjako
• The Kitara Chronicles – Yiga Sadat, Kizito SudaisySebbowa
• Mukisa – Meme Kagga, Nana Kagga
• The Tales Of Our Times – Jerry Sesanga
• Ganyana – Charles Luzinda

Viewer’s Choice

• The Passenger – Usama Mukwaya, Meddy Sserwadda, Hadijah Nakanjako
• Kafacoh – Doreen Mirembe, Khai Sam
• The Kitara Chronicles – Yiga Sadat, Kizito SudaisySebbowa
• Mukisa – Meme Kagga, Nana Kagga
• When You Become Me – Mathew Nabwiso

Best Director

• Mathew Nabwiso – When You Become Me
• Doreen Mirembe And Gilbert Lukaliya  – Kafacoh
• Geoffrey Kasozi – Mukisa
• Hadijah Nakanjako – The Passenger
• Yiga Sadat – The Kitara Chronicles 

Best Lead Actor

• Katangole Henry Nathan In The Passenger
• Mathew Kavuma In Dial M For Maya 
• Micheal Wawuyo Sr. In Kafacoh
• Blaire Koono In Enkuba
• Sammy Wetala In Sipi

Best Lead Actress

• Nana Kagga In Pieces Of Me
• Doreen Mirembe In Kafacoh
• Tracy Kababito In Mukisa
• Ankunda Doreck In When You Become Me
• Tania Shakirah Kankindi In All For Love/Atonement

Best Supporting Actor

• Musa Mwambu In When You Become Me
• Mulimira Sulait In Ganyana
• Isa Ngobi In Mukisa
• Matovu Greyc Miguel In The Matron
• Lubowa Yasin In The Tales Of Our Land

Best Supporting Actress

• Allen Musumba In The Passenger
• Najuko Viola In The Matron
• Carol Nanyonjo In Mukisa
• Naiga Florence In Ganyana
• Blessing Naturinda In Sipi

Best Cinematography

• When You Become Me – Izaek Ekuka
• Pieces Of Me – John Paul Mboira
• Mukisa – John Paul Mboira
• Kafacoh – Mustaque Abdallah
• The Passenger

Best Screenplay

• Mukisa – Nana Kagga
• Kafacoh – Musa Luswata, Doreen Mirembe And KhaiSam
• When You Become Me – Kisaka Aganza, NgobiAmbrose
• The Passenger – Meddy Sserwadda
• Pieces Of Me – Nana Kagga

Best Costume Designer

• Mukisa – Nana Kagga
• The Kitara Chronicles – Lukwago Pakulu
• The Matron – Ninsiima Ronah
• Kafacoh – Whitney G. Najjuko
• The Tale Of Our Times – Signature Tw & Derrick Kissinger 

Best Makeup

• When You Become Me – Nalukwago Swabrah
• The Kitara Chronicles
• Pieces Of Me – Nalukwago Swabrah
• Mukisa – Nantege Joan
• The Tales Of Our Time

Best Post-production/Editing

• The Passenger
• When You Become Me – Ken Heights Sabiti
• The Matron – Kimera Paul & Basam Mukwaya
• Mukisa – Paul Katumwa
• Kafacoh – Andrew Evans & Alex Irate & Peter Mukiibi& Monica Mugo

Best Sound Design

• The Passenger – Isiko Abubaker
• Kafacoh – Ssenkumba Adnan
• Mukisa – Geofrey Kasozi
• When You Become Me
• The Matron – Simon Agola & Wabwire Samuel

Best Production Designer

• The Passenger – Imran Musabbeh
• Mukisa – Nana Kagga
• The Kitara Chronicles – Imran Musabbeh
• Kafacoh – Robinah Nansubuga
• When You Become Me – Ken Heights Byarugaba

Best Short Film

• Agramon – Godfrey Aine
• Building 62 – Godfrey Aine
• Contracted – Josephine Kabahuma
• My Blood – Kate Nafuna
• Nambi – Peter Mukiibi

Best Documentary

• Akampene Punishment Island – Catherine Bishanga
• Letter to Jovan – Avan Kavy Kavuma
• Staunch – Consolate Namyalo
• Walugembe – Shemei Agabo
• When Water Is Not Life – Brian Okecha

Best Animation Film

• Famous – Dennis D. Junior
• Nkoza and Nankya – Solomon Jagwe
• Ttula – Benjamin Mwesigwa
• Lost – Mulima Ashraf
• Heights – Mansoor Mubiru

Best Student Film

• Cookies and Sweets – Douglas Byaruhanga (UCU Media Link)
• Find Me Online – Brian Von Mukisa (Kampala Film School)
• I Sold Me Out – Lubeera Saphina (Kampala Film School)
• Silent Scream – Otim Gerald (Kampala Film School)
• The Haunted Deed – Jjemba Enock Timothy (Kampala Film Sch) 

Best Actor in a TV Drama/Series 

• Balaba Phillip (Gaetano Kaggwa) in JDC
• Maraka (Amon Nuwamanya) in Koja
• Milton (Raymond Rushabirwo) in Prestige
• Patrick in Choices
• Robert Ojok (Fernando Kamigisha) in Caught in

Best Actress in a TV Drama/Series

• Barbra (Momo Nelson) in Choices
• Eunice Kintu (Cleopatra Koheirwe) in Prestige
• Linda (Diana Nabatanzi) in JDC
• Samara Ojok (Nakigoye Allen Nelson) in Caught In
• Sugar Mummy (Diana Kahunde) in The Koja 

Best TV Drama/Series

• Caught In – Mark Perryman
• Choices – Richard Mulindwa
• JDC – Allan Manzi
• Prestige – Nathan Magoola
• The Koja – Dilman Dilla

Best East African Films

• A Taste of our land (Rwanda) – YUHI AMULI
• Half Open Window (Kenya) – Omar Hamza
• Rishai (Kenya) – Omar Hamza

Best International Films

• A Cross in the Desert (Serbia)
• Everybody Wants To Be Loved (Germany)
• Purple Dont Cry (Canada)
• The Planter’s Plantation (Cameroon)
• The Pool Of Nobodies (Mexico)

  FULL LIST: Uganda Film Festival Awards Nominees 2023, Uganda Film Festival Awards, Uganda Film Festival Awards Nominees, Uganda Film Festival Awards Nominees 2023