At the headquarters of Reach A Hand Uganda in Lungujja, filmmakers, actors, and producers gathered with clear intention. conversations carried ambition as they hosted Netflix star Thapelo Mokoena for the 2026 Africa Film Forum under the iKON Awards.
From the very beginning, intention filled the space. Veteran creative Isaac Rucci led a deeply interactive session. Filmmakers leaned into uncomfortable but necessary conversations between actors and producers. They did not avoid tension. Instead, they embraced it.
Soon after, the audience watched Take My Hand, a short film produced by David Mukama under the iKON Young Filmmakers Cohort 2025. The film did more than entertain. It proved that Uganda’s next generation already carries the tools to tell powerful stories. Therefore, the forum did not just talk about potential. It displayed it.
Humphrey Nabimanya, CEO of Reach A Hand Uganda, explained the deeper vision of Africa Film Forum. He shared that the goal has always been to build a square a meeting ground where African creatives learn from one another. Uganda, he said, must grow alongside giants from South Africa and Nigeria while shaping its own identity. Furthermore, he emphasized that partnerships with respected figures like Thapelo strengthen Uganda’s case for global platforms such as Netflix to seriously consider Ugandan cinema.
He then made a clarion call. Young directors must raise their hands. They must build community. They must think beyond borders. The upcoming iKON Awards on August 15th, he confirmed, will expand that vision even further. Not only will Thapelo return, but he will also come with a larger South African delegation.
When Thapelo Mokoena took the stage, the room grew still. He did not perform for applause. Instead, he spoke with purpose. He described himself as an artist, a human being, and a dreamer shaped by 23 years of storytelling. However, he quickly delivered a challenge. For decades, the world built cinema without the African ingredient. That exclusion, he argued, was intentional. Now the world looks to Africa for renewal. Therefore, African creatives must choose themselves before the world chooses them.
He urged filmmakers to strengthen their digital presence and understand the business behind their art. Creatives must negotiate, own their stories, and build sustainable careers. He made it clear that he came to sow seeds, not to enjoy a visit. Africa has sold a broken story for too long, he said, and this generation must replace it with stories of brilliance and possibility. Change will not come through comfort. It will come through courage.
The message of belief echoed again when Nana Kagga shared her journey. After graduating in chemical engineering, she made a radical decision. She chose film. That decision strained her relationship with her father for five years. Yet she persisted. Because she believed in herself, she built a respected career in Uganda’s film industry. Her story reminded every young creative in the room that conviction often costs something but it also builds something greater.
Diplomatic weight entered the conversation when Rosa Malango addressed the forum. She urged filmmakers to root their storytelling in identity while keeping their vision open to the world. Authentic African stories, she said, do not require dilution. In fact, the world does not need softer versions of Africa. It needs the real thing.
Furthermore, she connected storytelling to tourism, trade, and economic growth. Films inspire travel. Stories create jobs. Narratives open markets. Therefore, cinema does not only shape culture. It shapes economies.
Throughout the day, collaboration emerged as the central theme. Filmmaker Matthew Nabwiso reinforced it. Leaders emphasized it. Thapelo embodied it. No African country, they agreed, can build a globally competitive industry alone. Shared markets, co-productions, and knowledge exchange will define the future.
By the time the forum closed, the atmosphere felt different from when it began. Hope felt structured. Vision felt actionable. Community felt intentional.
