Uganda
Film Locations. Uganda is Africa in miniature. It is the source of the Nile River. Uganda is home to the highest mountain range in Africa - the Mountains of the Moon in the Rwenzori National Park. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to the great apes. Uganda is also known for traditional villages, rural areas, estates and colonial houses, the bustling commercial centre of Kampala, lakes, waterfalls, rivers and forests.
Permits. Uganda requires a press accreditation per crew member. This takes a minimum of one week to process. Passport scans and passport size photos as well as other documents are required to obtain authorization.
Please click here to see application form for Press Accreditation for shooting in Uganda.
When to shoot? Uganda's equatorial climate provides plentiful sunshine, moderated by the relatively high altitude of much of the country. Except in the north eastern corner of the country, rainfall is well distributed. The southern region has two rainy seasons, usually beginning in early April and again in October. Little rain falls in June and December. In the north, occasional rains occur between April and October, while the period from November to March is often very dry.
For monthly weather statistics please see here.
Please contact us for more specific weather and sun path information.
Costs. The favorable exchange rate means that your currency goes far in Uganda. Local film facilities are very basic so the greatest cost is the need to bring in your equipment and key crew. Uganda is a landlocked country so all goods must travel in from neighboring countries, which are often politically unstable. As a result Uganda is at least twice as expensive for all goods and services. Kenya is the closest major production centre.
Talent is non-union. Contracts are offered by the producer which provides latitude for negotiations.
All talent is paid, in cash, as a buyout for Africa/worldwide rights in all formats. Occasionally, a performer will ask that his/her work not be shown in Uganda (for an HIV documentary, let’s say) but this is rare. There are no “average” talent fees. The professional actors and actresses in Uganda will negotiate their fee based on the overall budget and the role they are being offered. For a television series, they will require a “per episode” fee which., again, is all negotiable. Typically, talent is paid directly by the client for contractual reasons but we can also do this if requested.
The Ugandan talent pool is limited to African looks. The main ethnic groups are the Bantu, Nilotic, and Central-Sudanic people. All other looks need to be brought in from abroad. The talent base is quite basic offering mainly featured extras at best.
Creative talent. There are no directors or directors of photography or stills photographers in Uganda.
Please contact us for recommended directors, DoP's and photographers for your project.
Crews are non-union. Most crew must be brought in from abroad. Local supporting crews can help with basic projects. If you need to look further, more experienced crews exist in nearby Kenya.
Fringes. You are not required to contribute to any fringes as this system does not exist in Uganda.
Premiums. Shoot days run 12 hours, 7 days a week although shooting on Sundays should always be cleared with crew prior to booking the day as 85% of Ugandans attend some sort of church service on Sunday. Holidays make very little difference to all crew save for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. If you need to shoot between December 15th and January 5th of any year, give yourself as much lead time as possible.
Equipment. No equipment exists locally. Some basic equipment can be brought in from nearby Kenya otherwise all else must be improvised or come from abroad.
Art department and set construction. Art department is best sourced from abroad as there is no sophisticated depth in this field in Uganda.
Studios. None exist at present.
Backlots. There are currently no backlots in Uganda.
Tax Incentives. At present there are no tax incentives for foreign
commercials or films shooting in Uganda.
Film Stock. Bring from abroad. A small customs fee applies for all stock brought into Uganda. Do not trust stock available within the region, as there is no guarantee that it has been purchased from a reliable source and/or stored properly.
Post Production. Uganda has no post facilities. Nearby Kenya has some basic facilities but best to post back at home.
Visas and Work Permits. Entry is subject to regulations from country of origin. Contact your local Ugandan embassy or representative for more information.
Please note that it is advised to have your International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever with you upon entry. Although it may not be stipulated as a requirement on any official website, procedures at the airport fluctuate and you could be denied entry.
Transportation Infrastructure. Major roads are paved, sealed roads. However, once you leave city centres, all roads are unsealed and that will affect your travel time. Some international airlines service flights to Kampala.
Accommodation. Recommended hotels in Kampala include:
Imperial Royale Hotel
Kampala Serena Hotel
Emin Pasha Hotel
Kampala Sheraton Hotel
Please contact us for corporate rates.
For longer stays we can also organize serviced apartments.
Communication. Local connections are generally slow and not recommending for transferring large files. Websites are not censored in Uganda. As for cell phone use, its best to purchase a local SIM card as roaming rates are very expensive.
Safety. Theft and petty crime is not really a major problem in Uganda but its best to keep valuables on you just in case.
Although Uganda's security situation has improved over the last couple of years, travelers are advised to steer clear of the borders of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
If you must shoot in these areas then appropriate personal security measures are essential.
Projects. For an example of TV commercials, online advertising, corporate videos, stills campaigns, feature films, TV series and documentaries shot in Uganda, please see below:
Our production service companies, line producers and fixers have serviced TV commercials, online advertising, corporate videos, stills campaigns, feature films, TV series and documentaries for:
AXA Belgium, BBC UK, Canon Singapore, Coca Cola Indonesia, Concord Canada, Dove Malaysia, Deutche Bank Germany, Dressman Sweden, Evian France, HBO USA, Heineken Ireland, Hyundai Korea, Intercontinental Hotels Global, ITC India, Kirin Japan, Kraft USA, Landrover UK, LG Korea, Meunil China, McDonalds Australia, MUFG Japan, Nikon Hong Kong, Nokia China, Orange Moblie Slovakia, Philips Netherlands, Proctor & Gamble USA, Chery Riich China, Rimowa Germany, Samsung Korea, Sinoland Hong Kong, Skipper Italy, Smirnoff USA, Sony United Arab Emirates, Stella Russia, Telefonica Spain, Vidal Sassoon China, Virgin Media UK, and much more.
If you are looking for a film or photographic production service company, line producer or fixer in Uganda, please contact us.
We are able to provide you with answers, references and bids quickly.
