Yellow Veil Pictures and Drafthouse Films have collaborated to acquire the North American rights to Once Upon A Time Uganda, a documentary by Cathryne Czubek. The film follows the unlikely friendship between Isaac Nabwana, a filmmaker known as Uganda’s Quentin Tarantino, and American film programmer Alan Hofmanis, who travels to Uganda to collaborate on Nabwana’s films. The documentary highlights the pair’s shared love of Chuck Norris and 80’s action movies, and their goal to bring Wakaliwood, a slum in Uganda’s capital of Kampala, to worldwide recognition.
Premiere and Release Plans
Once Upon A Time Uganda was originally scheduled to premiere at the 2020 SXSW festival before its cancellation. The documentary eventually premiered at DocNYC, where it won the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Competition. The distributors plan to release the film in theaters exclusively with Alamo Drafthouse for a week-long run starting on July 4th, followed by an expansion to other markets. The digital release is set for July 25th.
Comments from the Distributors
The co-founders of Yellow Veil Pictures expressed their excitement about the film’s release, stating that the documentary showcases Nabwana’s love for stories and spectacle while highlighting the power of friendship. Drafthouse Films CEO Nick Savva added that his team is drawn to stories that explore the love of cinema, and Once Upon A Time Uganda is no exception.
Production Details
Cathryne Czubek directed Once Upon A Time Uganda, which was produced by Czubek, Gigi Dement, Hugo Perez, Matt Porwoll, and Kyaligamba Ark Martin. Czubek co-wrote the film with Amanda Hughes. The deal was negotiated by Yellow Veil Pictures co-founders Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms, and Joe Yanick, with Mike Chapman at Blue Finch handling international sales.
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