By Nathanael Simbilyabo
Emmanuel Ilungole, a former Uganda Christian University (UCU) student, on Friday, August 28, won the Uganda Best Feature Film Award at the Uganda Film Festival awards gala held at the Uganda Institute of Information and Communications Technology (UICT) in Nakawa, Kampala.
His film, You May Kiss the Bride Goodbye, took the top prize for 2020, earning Sh10 million in cash and non-cash travel prizes worth Sh20 million. The movie also received the highest number of nominations at the festival, with 14 nods.
Ilungole said the win came as a surprise after the team faced significant challenges during production, including criticism of an unfinished version shown at the first screening.
“I am really happy actually. Even that night, it was a bit of a surprise because I thought another movie would win that night,” he said.
The Uganda Film Festival, organised by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), brings together Ugandan filmmakers for about a week. Selected films are screened in cinemas before awards are presented at the gala night. You May Kiss the Bride Goodbye was among those screened before it claimed the top honour.
The film was produced under the Opportunities Are Here project, supported by the European Union and the International Trade Centre in Uganda. Young filmmakers first received funding to produce short films. Ilungole’s short film Guy It’s Night earned him a place on the feature film team. He worked as a producer and writer, while Drake Makanga directed the feature — his first time directing a full-length film after previously working on television shows.
The award marks another milestone in Ilungole’s journey, which began while he was a student at UCU. He initially enrolled intending to become a writer, having developed a love for short stories and comic books in high school.
“I knew I liked writing. I enjoyed writing, because I used to write even in high school. I used to write short stories,” he explained.
He entered filmmaking in his second year after his friend Brian Kalogoza developed a skit titled My Degree. As editor at UC Focus TV, Ilungole edited the skit and produced a trailer. The project later grew into a short film, opening the door to further opportunities.
“My Degree was my first ever short film, but my first ever short film that I directed myself was Perfect Lie,” he said. Perfect Lie was a class project in which he volunteered to direct, despite being a beginner. Skills in editing and camera work gained during his Journalism training at UCU proved valuable.
Ilungole admitted he once doubted that Ugandan filmmakers could succeed internationally. Working on My Degree changed his perspective.
“I always wanted to be involved in filmmaking, but I never thought of doing this in Uganda,” he stated.
Financing remains a major challenge in the still-developing local industry. He credited the Opportunities Are Here project with helping him raise resources for the award-winning film.
“I would say I haven’t fully overcome this barrier, but I have managed to raise money this time,” he added.
Ilungole now works full-time as a filmmaker, taking on roles as writer, editor and cinematographer. He has also contributed to a television series still under development and is currently working on a psychological thriller shot in a Ugandan language. His long-term goal is to direct films that reach international audiences.
“I see myself in Hollywood in the next three years, at an international level, doing movies that will reach across the whole world,” he said.
Reflecting on the journey, Ilungole said filmmaking has taught him resilience and consistency, especially when facing repeated rejection while seeking funding and opportunities.
To students interested in creative careers, he advises action over waiting for perfect conditions.
“Nobody is going to do it for you. You have to make yourself,” he said. “It’s better to do something and fail than failing to do it all together.”
