Rachael Magoola calls for greater investment in filmmakers

What the report says

Former Ugandan legislator and musician Rachael Magoola has urged stronger investment in the country’s young filmmakers, saying the growing pool of storytellers needs better backing if Uganda is to develop a more competitive film industry. Her comments came during the unveiling of nominees for the 2026 Pearlwood Film Awards, held at the Uganda National Cultural Centre in Kampala on Friday, according to Sqoop Uganda.

At the ceremony, Magoola said the awards are becoming more than a recognition exercise because they help identify talent, encourage better storytelling and support the wider creative sector. She pointed to the quality of the nominated productions as evidence that creativity is emerging from schools, institutions and the broader filmmaking community, and argued that this talent should be nurtured rather than left to grow without support.

Sqoop Uganda reported that the 2026 nominees were chosen after months of technical assessment and professional review. The awards will combine public voting, which opens on August 8, with evaluation by an independent jury. Pearlwood has also planned a Nominee and Industry Dialogue from August 29 to October 10, followed by the awards gala on October 14.

The report said the programme is intended to help address long-running challenges in Uganda’s film sector, including limited financing, weak production infrastructure, skills gaps and access to markets. Pearlwood also announced a 2027 school film challenge aimed at encouraging student filmmaking, with organisers saying it could include production support for participating schools.