Ugandan and Nollywood award-winning actress, producer and TV presenter Princess Faridah Ndausi said governments’ involvement can level up creative and filmic collaboration between Nigeria and Uganda.
Ndausi, who spoke at the just-concluded Kaduna International Film Festival (KADIFF), noted that thus far, filmic collaborations and exchanges between Nigeria and Uganda have been driven solely by filmmakers and festivals like KADIFF.
Ugandan-Nigerian collaborations date back to 2006, when the actress made her debut as a ‘waka pass’ in the film “Roses In The Rain”, which was shot in Uganda and starred actress Clarion Chukwura and Zach Orji.
She would go on to appear in many other films, such as Before The Rain (2008) with Desmond Elliot, Tonto Dike, and Chika Ike, Yankee Boys (starring Emeka Ike and Jim Iyke), and Shedrach, Meshach, and Abednego (amongst others).
These days, the collaboration has grown from Ugandans merely featuring in Nigerian films, or shooting films in Uganda, to Ugan
dans featuring Nigerian actors, such as Ndausi’s films ‘See Through Me’ and ‘Shadow Face’ – starring Nigerian actors Clems Ohameze and Yvonne Jegede.
Similarly, collaborations between the two countries spanned filmic exchanges with Nigerian actors visiting Uganda to host workshops in films, encourage and appear in Ugandan award shows such as the Icon Awards, among others.
Nigerian film festivals such as KADIFF achieved a milestone last year by signing an MoU with the Pearl International Film Festival (PIFF) in Uganda. Both platforms can engender visibility and distribution of Nigerian films in Uganda and vice versa.
However, for greater creative collaborations and co-productions between both countries to occur, government intervention, not just financial but otherwise, is requisite to create a more conducive atmosphere for cooperation and the interrelations between East and West African creatives, Ndausi said.
“If the Nigerian government can work with Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), sit together to discuss, “what can we do for our countries?” It would result in something beautiful. It shouldn’t just be the actors of our countries initiating the relations. Government should get involved,” she added.
Regarding what Uganda can bring, Ndausi said, “good director, good story/script writing, and even good producers.”
While commending Nigerian actors such as Emeka Ike, Segun Arinze, and directors Emma Ayalogu and Cele O. Cele for giving her a leg up in Nollywood and the Nigerian film industry for their extensive support of the creatives in the Ugandan film industry, the actress said that in recent times, many Nigerian films have been focused on ‘commercialism’ rather than plot.
Uganda, on the other hand, while acknowledging the need for film sales, prioritises ‘storyline’, message, and relativity in filmmaking. This would explain Uganda’s back-to-back sweeping of the awards at the last two editions of KADIFF, in addition to recording the largest number of film entries and screenings at the festival for three consecutive years.
“Nigerians see movies as business – it is all about putting out movies, the priority is not the plot/storyline. Ugandans ensure that they concentrate on a storyline. We are intent on touching people’s hearts, about creating something memorable. Our stories are message-focused.
“I think it is normal for every industry to start from scratch. It wasn’t easy for us (Uganda Film Industry), but it is getting better and bigger than before. A director and script/storywriter are very crucial for a film. Without these two, you cannot make a good movie. And Uganda is blessed with both. Same as film producers, who are now willing to invest huge amount of money in film production, without necessarily focusing on the profits. That’s part of the reason the industry is getting better,” Ndausi said.
Uganda won six of the 16 award categories at KADIFF 2025, in particular areas of the film industry where Nigeria isn’t quite so strong – like animation, experimental and documentary. What better way to enhance collaborations than here?
