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Secret screening at the Queer Kampala International Film Festival. (Photo courtesy of Kamoga Hassan)
A Ugandan police raid shut down the Queer Kampala International Film Festival on Dec. 9, but its organizers had the last laugh. The festival returned three weeks later — in secret.
Festival organizer Kamoga Hassan, also known as Miracle / Mirakel, reports:
Despite the setback we had on 9 December when the police shut down our event without any legal basis, we organized a defiance screening. We showed all the films we didn’t show last time. [See schedules for Dec. 9 and Dec. 10.]
Logo of the Queer Kampala International Film Festival.
Thank you to our brave festival participants who came out in force for the rescheduled screenings and debates on 28-29 December. Big thanks to all our 2017 sponsors and partners. Together we made history.
For those of you who did not make it to our screenings, we want to inform you that we are trying to negotiate with our 2017 filmmakers to extend the rights they gave us so that we can bring these educational films to your communities as part of our monthly community film screenings. We will also be able to screen some films on our new secure online viewing platform.
For updates about our monthly activities or the annual QueerKIFF event in December, please join our Facebook page or you can as well subscribe on our website.
The festival received US $10,758 in financial support from an online fund drive.
There was no legal justification for the police action, the organisers noted. “There is nothing illegal [about] watching educational films and organising a platform for debate about LGBT rights in Uganda.”
The raid followed the police crackdown against Pride Uganda in August when organisers and participants were threatened with arrest by the police, forcing its cancellation.
GOOD FOR YOU, Thanks for not being denied equality and continue fighting for all LGBTQI around the world. We must stand up together and support each other to rid the world of such ignorance and hate.
GOOD FOR YOU, Thanks for not being denied equality and continue fighting for all LGBTQI around the world. We must stand up together and support each other to rid the world of such ignorance and hate.