Uganda will soon get an LGBTQ film festival
The Queer Kampala International Film Festival announced last week:
The first ever and only LGBTQ-themed film festival opens up in Uganda
It is a well-known fact that LGBT people in Uganda are not free. When they stand up for their rights, or merely stand out from other people, they often pay a heavy price, with some losing their jobs, their families or even their lives. This obvious plight of LGBT in Uganda has left hundreds fleeing their communities to seek a life in more open societies where they hope to be accepted for who they are.
It’s these glaring facts that have inspired the establishment of the Queer Kampala International Film Festival (QKIFF), the first queer-themed film festival to be held in the Ugandan capital, Kampala. The festival aims at celebrating the diversity of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people through quality cinema.
The annual festival’s inaugural edition is set for Dec. 9-11, 2016, and is expected to draw crowds from across the world. It will boast an eclectic programming including film premieres/screenings, workshops, panel discussions and parties that focus essentially on LGBTQ-themed films and videos from Uganda and around the world.
The primary goal of the festival is to increase awareness and tolerance of sexual identity through increased public exposure using films, and supporting courageous film makers who are passionate about voicing the plight of the LGBT communities in the world. We indeed feel it’s urgent to spread the correct information on sexual identity to the public and promote the dignity of LGBTs.
QKIFF is also tailored to encourage the professional development of East African queer film and video artists and support for their work.
Film submissions to the first QKIFF are open until October, with Ugandan nationals welcome to submit their queer-themed films free of charge while people from other parts of the world will pay an affordable submission fee.
For more information about this festival, including its fundraiser campaign and submissions please visit www.queerkiff.com. Also visit its donation page.
The Team
QKIFF is being established by a group of young human rights activists and film
professionals who decided to put their hearts and minds into building something creative so as to help minorities communities in Uganda through producing quality films.
They have produced a number of short documentaries for non-profit organizations in Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi and Swaziland. In 2014, the same team produced “Outed:’The Painful Reality,” the hard-hitting feature about the dangers of homophobic media reporting on LGBTI issues.
Released in 2015, the film had its world premiere at the Qflix Film Festival in
Philadelphia, USA, where it was awarded the Barbra Gittings International Human Rights Award. It has since screened at various film festivals around the world.
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