Ugandan-American filmmaker Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine won Best Documentary at Kigali’s Mashariki African Film Festival for Memories of Love Returned, underscoring Uganda’s rising influence in African cinema. The Uganda High Commission supported the country’s pavilion and used the event to advance cultural diplomacy and strengthen ties with Rwanda. The Kigali International Content Market offered Ugandan creators new networking and partnership opportunities, reinforcing the industry’s regional growth.

Artists and designers advanced East African cultural expression through two projects in Uganda: Oikos Gallery opened in Kampala, where its founders presented contemporary African art in a lively community setting, while Hassell and partners completed the Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre in northern Uganda. The centre offers an open-air amphitheater, training spaces, and a rain-harvesting roof that supports local resources, strengthening creativity and community for residents and refugees alike.

A cultural revival is unfolding at the National Theatre in Kampala, where artisans teach and showcase Uganda’s centuries-old barkcloth craft. Master craftsman Samula Peter Katamiira, who has practised the skill for 37 years, trains new learners using tools inherited from his father. Artist Owek. Noah Wamala Nnyanzi also promotes barkcloth through a demonstration tree planted seven years ago. Despite shrinking artisan numbers, growing creativity is renewing interest in barkcloth’s cultural and economic value.