Usama Mukwaya

Usama Mukwaya
Mukwaya in 2014
Born Usama Mukwaya Nyanzi
(1989-12-12) 12 December 1989
Mulago, Kampala, Uganda
Nationality Ugandan
Alma mater Makerere University
Occupation Screenwriter, film director, actor, TV personality
Years active 2010–present
Notable work Bala Bala Sese
Awards Full list

Usama (/ʊˈsɑːmə/) "Osam" Mukwaya Nyanzi (born 12 December 1989) is a Ugandan film director,[1] screenwriter, producer, actor, and television host. His breakthrough in his writing career came with his short film Hello that won overall best film in the 2010 MNFPAC Students Awards.

His directorial debut was Love Faces, released in January 2018. His other major films include Bala Bala Sese, directed by Lukyamuzi Bashir; Mukwaya is credited as the film's writer and producer.[2] The film was nominated by the Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best Film in an African Language.

Early life

Born in Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda, Mukwaya has ancestry from Ganda, Ankole and Rwanda. He is the son of Abdullah Muhammad Mukwaya and Aziidah Mariam. After the death of his mother when he was 8, Mukwaya's aunt took him in; when she died too, Mukwaya had to move in with his father and later on with his grandfather. As of 24 November 2017, Abdullah Mukwaya serves as the Qadhi of Mbarara District.[2]

He has numerous siblings from both his father and mother.[2]

He attended Linnet Primary School in Wakiso District, for his primary school education, Shuhada'e Islamic Secondary School in Mbarara for his O level, and Nyamitanga Secondary School for his A level. He studied information technology at Makerere University under the Cisco Career Certifications.

Early career

Mukwaya standing in front, first from right with fellow 2011 Maisha participants and mentors. Third on the same row is lab founder, film director Mira Nair.

Mukwaya started his writing career as a child. In 2010 he joined Dan Kiggundu's Maryland Productions where he debuted as a script editor and supporting actor in the TV drama Pain of Lies, which premiered in 2011[2][3].

Through Uganda film network, he later joined Mariam Ndagire Film and Performing Arts Center, where he worked on his first short film, Hello,[4] which won the overall best film at the MNFPAC awards 2010. In July 2011, he made it to the final selection of the 12 screenwriters from all over East Africa to participate in the 7th Maisha Film Lab, ending up with a collaboration with Diana Karua in the making of the movie She Likes Prada.[2]

Later in 2011, Mukwaya won the Young Achievers Award[5][6] in the film and television category, the youngest among the recipients of the award in the newly introduced category alongside Rwandan president Paul Kagame, who won the lifetime achievement award.[7]

Kinna-Uganda (Ugandan film) has something to do with mediocrity. We should follow the trends of other industries like Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood; let us call our industry Ugawood.

– Usama Mukwaya via The Observer[8]

Amidst other four young directors in August 2012, he directed his first film, Smart Attempt, written by Julian Nabunya and Abel Mwesigwa during the first season of the Movie Furnace programme. He went on to participate in the program's second season with his short film In Just Hours; he was the season's winner for best short film director.[9][10][11][12]

He has worked as a general secretary and treasurer of the Screenwriter's Guild of Uganda Film Network and as general secretary of the Pearl International Film Festival before being appointed festival programmer for the 7th and 8th Editions.[2][13]

He was quoted by The Observer newspaper alongside Ashraf Ssemwogerere oi an interview about naming the growing film industry in Uganda, in which he stated that Ugawood could have been the appropriate name, citing that Kinna-Uganda had to do with mediocrity.[8]

In July 2014, Mukwaya started his own film production company O Studios Entertainment, based in Uganda that immediately opened with the production of the short film Tiktok, written and directed by himself.

Major films

Bala Bala Sese (2015)

Bala Bala Sese was Mukwaya's first film as producer and writer. It was released on 3 July 2015 at theatre Labonita.[14][15] The film became the first Ugandan project to receive a professional marketing touch. It was the top Ugandan film of 2015 and the following year.[16][17] It was nominated at the 12th Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best Film in an African Language.[18] It was featured in various international film festivals, including the Luxor African Film Festival in Cairo, Egypt, where it held its African premiere and competed in the Long Narrative category with 13 other African films.[19][20][21] It was an opening film at the 10th Amakula International Film Festival, automatically qualifying for the Golden Impala Award in the best African film category, which was won by De Noir.[22][23] The film debuted its European release at the Helsinki African Film Festival in Finland.[24] The directorial debut by music video director Lukyamuzi Bashir features former celebrity couple Natasha Sinayobye and Michael Kasaija as on-screen lovers, first time film actor and former Ebonies member Raymond Rushabiro with veteran stage actor Ashraf Ssemwogerere.

Love Faces (2017)

Mukwaya released his debut film, Love Faces, in January 2018, teaming up again with Laura Kahunde (Hello) and Patriq Nkakalukanyi (Tiktok), alongside first timer Moses Kiboneka Jr.[25]

Television

Usama on Set of Movie Digest Show in 2013

In July 2013, Mukwaya had his television debut as a host on the second season of the Movie Digest Show on Record TV Network Uganda, with actress Monica Birwinyo replacing pioneer host and former Tusker Project Fame 3 contestant Jacob Nsaali.[26]

Philanthropy

Mukwaya began his philanthropy work in January 2015 with Empowerment of Disadvantaged Youth and Children (EDYAC) when he traveled to Tororo in northern Uganda to share life experiences. He and his friend Bobby Tamale later made a documentary available on YouTube about the experience with the video, directed and narrated by Mukwaya.[27]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2010Iron LoveActorOfficial selection: Pearl International Film Festival
2010Pain of LiesActor, Script SupervisorOfficial selection: Pearl International Film Festival
2010HelloWriter, First Assistant DirectorNominee – MNFPAC Awards for Best screenplay
2011She Likes PradaProduction ManagerOfficial selection: Zanzibar International Film Festival
2012Smart AttemptDirectorMovie Furnace 2012 finalist
2013In Just HoursWriter, DirectorBest Director – Short Film: Movie Furnace 2013

Official selection: 2nd Nile Diaspora International Film Festival[28][29]

Nominee – Best Student Film: Pearl International Film Festival (MNFPAC)

Official selection: 4th Manya Human Rights International Film Festival[30]

2012-2013Movie Digest ShowHost, Producer
2015TiktokWriter, DirectorOfficial selection: Mashariki African Film Festival[31]
2015Bala Bala SeseWriter, producerAfrica Movie Academy Awards nomination for Best Film in an African Language[19][32]
2016New IntentionsActorBruno
2017Rehema[33]Writer, producerOfficial selection: Durban International Film Festival
2017Love FacesWriter, DirectorBest Costume Design and Production Design, Uganda Film Festival 2017[34]
2021In Just HoursWriter, ProducerAnnounced[35]

Awards and nominations

Personal life

Mukwaya currently lives in Kampala.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ugandan film maker: I am living my dream". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2017-11-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kamukama, Polly (12 April 2012). "Mukwaya, the self made filmmaker". The Observer. Uganda. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "African Film Producers: Ugandan Producers Nana Kagga and Usama Mukwaya". filmlinkafrica.com. Retrieved 2018-09-12.
  4. ↑ http://www.amakula.com/archive.html
  5. ↑ "Young Achievers Awards Uganda – Rewarding Innovation and Excellence". Youngachievers.ug. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "Previous Awards - Africa Young Achievers Awards". africayoungachievers.com. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "The Achiever Magazine 2011". Youngachievers.ug. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  8. 1 2 "The Observer – Ugawood or Kinna-Uganda? Film stars split over name". Observer.ug. Retrieved 31 October 2012.
  9. ↑ Mulumba, Abu-Baker. "The Observer". observer.ug. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  10. ↑ "Nurturing local film talent". Daily Monitor. Retrieved 2017-11-23.
  11. ↑ LLC, Stage 32,. "Julian Nabunya: Actor, director and producer in Kampala, Uganda". stage32.com. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  12. ↑ http://stagebrief.net/artist-101/2018/Usama-Mukwaya.html
  13. ↑ https://pearlfilmfest.com/about-piff/
  14. ↑ Kaggwa, Andrew. "Natasha, Michael set to relive romance on screen". observer.ug. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  15. ↑ "Glitz and Glamour At The Premiere Of Bala Bala Sese Movie". chano8.com. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  16. ↑ "Ugandan cinema slowly getting deserved attention - News24 Africa". news24africa.com. 6 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "Bala Bala Ssese movie premieres". monitor.co.ug. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  18. ↑ "Africa Movie Academy announces full list of 2016 Nominations". filmcontact.com. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  19. 1 2 "Ugandan films vie for $4,000 prize at Luxor festival – theinsider.ug". theinsider.ug. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  20. ↑ "Bala Bala Sese". luxorafricanfilmfestival.com. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  21. ↑ Kaggwa, Andrew. "Ugandan films for international festivals". observer.ug. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  22. ↑ "Bala Bala Sese - Uganda - Amakula". amakula.org. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  23. ↑ "AMAKULA International Film Festival Returns - Proggie - Events in and around Kampala!". proggie.ug. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  24. ↑ "Bala Bala Sese • Haff". haff.fi. 3 April 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  25. ↑ "Bala Bala Sese Movie Producer Working On New Film - Chano8". chano8.com. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  26. ↑ http://ugscreen.net/television/movie-digest-show
  27. ↑ Usama Mukwaya (2015-11-19), Tales from EDYAC, retrieved 2017-11-23
  28. ↑ http://www.ndiffest.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/NDIFF-selection.pdf
  29. ↑ Baranga, Samson. "The Observer". observer.ug. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  30. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  31. ↑ http://maaff.net/index.php/component/content/article/1-latest-news/904-list-of-films
  32. ↑ Kaggwa, Andrew. "Ugandan films for international festivals". observer.ug. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  33. ↑ http://www.durbanfilmfest.co.za/index.php/film/item/3935-rehema/
  34. ↑ http://ugandafilmfestival.ug/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/OFFICIAL-LIST-OF-NOMINEES-UFF-2017.pdf%7C%7C%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D
  35. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8917922


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