Ugandan film wins in Nigeria

The Forbidden movie poster. COURTESY PHOTO

By now, the team behind The Forbidden may have come to terms with the fact that they got many things right while making their film.

Just at the beginning of the year, then a little known film, The Forbidden premiered at Bat Valley Theatre to a respectable audience, but as the fate is for many local films, that was almost it.
Next time it hit the news, it was becoming the first Ugandan film to win Best Feature Film at the annual Kampala Amakula International Festival.

Today the film has gone on to get selections in festivals across the continent, picking 13 nominations in the Golden Movie Awards Africa in Ghana and winning at least one for Best Costume and makeup.
And just last week, the film was at it again, this time in Nigeria where they had been selected for the Real Time International Film Festival: according to Samuel Kizito the director of the film, they held a successful screening that recieved a standing ovation at the end.
They went on to win the best thematic film accolade for the way their scripts tackles issues surrounding incest, cross generational relationships and of course HIV.

The Forbidden is a film a girl’s quest to find a father that left her mother before she was born – not knowing the reception her daughter would recieve the mother kept the secret of the father from the daughter.
Unfortunately, her quest even when it is satified, she gets more than she burgained for.

The film was praised by the Kampala Amakula jury for its character difinition and different themes that are both relevant and artistic in delivery.
Staring Leilah Nakabira, Meddy Musinguzi, Nodryn Evanci and Kaye Trevor among others, The Forbidden boosts of formibadle acting that is both relatable and believable.
The movie is also one of the nominees of the Africa Magic Viewers’Choice Awards that are set to be held in Nigeria later this year.