Yellow Veil Pictures and Drafthouse acquire US rights to Once Upon a Time in Uganda

EXCLUSIVE: Yellow Veil Pictures and Drafthouse Films have jointly acquired the US rights to Cathryne Czubek’s documentary Once upon a time Uganda.

The work revolves around the unlikely friendship between Uganda’s answer to Quentin Tarantino, filmmaker Isaac Nabwana and American film programmer Alan Hofmanis, who moves to the East African country to work on his films.

Set against the backdrop of Wakaliga, a slum in Uganda’s capital Kampala, the couple combine a shared love of ’80s action films Chuck Norris and Gonzo with an ambition to catapult “Wakaliwood” to international fame.

The film was originally scheduled to have its world premiere at the canceled SXSW 2020 edition, but then made its debut at DocNYC, where it won the Grand Jury Prize in the US competition.

The distributors plan to hit theaters with an exclusive week beginning July 4 in the Alamo Drafthouse theaters before expanding to other markets. The movie hits digital platforms on July 25.

“Once upon a time in Uganda tells not only the fascinating, untold story of Issac Nabwana’s true passion for storytelling and spectacle, but also a heartfelt story of friendship,” said Hugues Barbier, co-founder of Yellow Veil Pictures.

“It’s such a reminder of why we love movies in the first place and bringing this gem to the public with Drafthouse Films seemed the logical choice. We can’t wait to see it with a cheering and laughing audience.”

Drafthouse Films CEO Nick Savva added: “The entire team at Drafthouse Films is drawn like a magnet to stories that explore what it means to be in love with film. This film is no exception.”

Once upon a time in Uganda is directed by Cathryne Czubek of Wonderview Studios and also produced by Czubek, starring Gigi Dement, Hugo Perez, Matt Porwoll and Kyaligamba Ark Martin. Czubek co-wrote the film with Amanda Hughes.

The deal was brokered by Yellow Veil Pictures co-founders Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms and Joe Yanick, with Blue Finch’s Mike Chapman handling international sales.