Ambassador Olara Otunnu has challenged Northern Uganda filmmakers to embrace originality and cultural identity, saying the world is waiting for stories told in their own voice.
Speaking during the Northern Uganda Film Awards on Saturday, 2 May 2026, at Acholi Inn Hotel, Otunnu warned against copying foreign styles.
“I beg you, do not be a copycat. Be authentic, be yourself,” he told the gathering. “A copycat has no power. But when you develop your own voice with confidence, without complex, that is the great power of originality. That is what the world is looking forward to from you.”
Otunnu said fear of using local language and heritage was a barrier filmmakers must reject. “Don’t let anybody make you afraid of your own language. That’s a crime,” he said.
He cited Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray and Ugandan composer Geoffrey Oryema as examples of creatives who conquered the world by staying true to themselves.
“They were not afraid of their heritage, history, stories and narratives. They were not afraid of their language,” he said. “There is no language barrier when it comes to creativity and artistic expression. So please, I beg you, be authentic.”
The remarks drew applause from filmmakers and industry leaders attending the second edition of NUFA under the theme “Stories That Redefine Us.”
Otunnu’s call reinforces NUFA’s focus on authentic Northern Ugandan narratives. For an industry still building its global profile, the message pushes filmmakers to use local languages, history, and lived experience as creative assets, not limitations.
