Screenwriter/ Actor
Here is the treasurer Screenwriters Guild (Uganda Film Network), editor with UM Magazine and the general secretar y Pearl International Film Festival. With more than five successful movie projects and more in production, Usama is continuously determined to be one of the youngest successful filmmakers in Uganda.
‘Some of the people around me believe I have achieved all that it takes to be a thriving filmmaker but to me, it’s more history to make in the budding Ugandan film industry. I still believe that I will meet some of my favorite inspirations and hopefully d o projects with them. And there will be the climax of my story’
It was overwhelming 2000 at only 12 when Usama stood out from the many pupils of Linnet Primary School and emerged the best performer in the parents’ day activities. ‘I don’t even remember how I nailed the dance. A lady came to me after the performance and handled me a note of money with the words; you will be an awesome future entertainer. I am sure that has already moved along with me since then.’ This established a strong go ahead in all his following performing arts activities including the inaugural at exhibition participation in the first Banana fiber contemporary mosaics 2009, Makerere University Art department.
Starting with Replica his breakthrough script originally written as a feature which has just recently been accomplished to a high school drama series, Mukwaya has worked on more than nine scripts including some that are being developed.
‘I remember the first time I attempted out writing was September 2005. It was the foremost time I felt that screenplay writing was not just the ramble - ambled papers of my remarkable drama series script I had in my four quire book. It was more than a discovery that at least not every one in this craze of life, leaves to explore.’
Early 2010, Usama join Maryland Productions Africa from where he had his first performance in ‘Pain of lies’ though it hasn’t been released till to date.
“I always felt I had the art of film even when I had never gotten any way close to any filmmaker and thanks to enthusiastic Danny Kiggundu that I have been able to live my dream.”
He later went on and joined Uganda Film Network as a screenwriter and there he was appointed the general secretary in the Screenwriters’ guild. Later that very year he was accepted in MFAPAC.
Considered one of the first alumni the Mariam Ndagire Film and Performing Arts Centre, in December 2010 a collaboration of Trendz studios, Maisha Film Lab and Makerere Business School, Usama successful made his first short movie, ‘Hello’. ‘It was an amazingly fan
workshop that brought me to another new movie making experience’.
Usama achieved a nomination in the 2010 Mariam Ndagire Film and Performing Arts students’ film awards for the best screenplay and in the same year he had a chance to showcase ‘Hello’ in the inaugural Pearl International Film Festival.
In 2011, Usama was blessed with an invite to participate in the 7th annual Maisha filmmaker’s lab that saw him stroke shoulders with terrific filmmakers like Moon-soon Wedding’s Mira Nair – the founder, Slum dog Millionaire’s Mrinal Desai, Storm Chaser’s Jeff Wynne, The Bachelors’ Steven Cohen and many more proficient filmmakers. That finished with a collaboration with Diana Karua in the making of ‘She likes Prada.’ ‘We stroll to tell, but Maisha was just another life arty film opening’. ‘I have to admit Diana was one hell of a tough woman but having her as my first female director to work with was awe-inspiring,” he says. “She could boost the invisible power in me.”
In addition to his latest inventive accomplishment on ‘She likes Prada’, Mukwaya is currently working on movie projects like ‘SHOTS’, ‘Psy-chic’, ‘Promise’ and ‘14’ teaming up with one of Ugandan’s finest video directors, Lukyamuzi Bashir.
Mukwaya is also enthusiastic with writing and is currently writing for UM magazine, a Ugandan movie magazine and still drawing enough time to complete his novel. He has contributed as well to African Woman magazine before being the chairman writer’s club in his former high school.
Born to Abdullah Muhammad Mukwaya and Mariam Azidah, Usama is the second and third born of his family and currently leaving in the capital Kampala.
As ‘She likes Prada’ continues to be a sensation, let’s wait to see this talented boy’s next screen blow.
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