Working as an editor has given Casey Lugada of Uganda a taste of Africa’s burgeoning film and TV industry. It has inspired the 18-year-old to pursue a career in film directing, though he is looking forward to learning new skills as part of MTF that will strengthen his future opportunities and experience.
“There are a lot of opportunities and untold stories within Africa. It is a content-rich continent,” he explained
Casey wants to add a creative new outlook to the conventional way that stories are told because he believes it’s the director’s responsibility to take the audience on a journey. “What determines a good film happens long before the film is shot. There are countless ways in which meanings, interpretations, motives and emotions can be conveyed to an audience,” he said.
“What makes a good film is not just the content, but a director who understands the different ways and reasons for impacting the audience in the way they do.” He believes that storytelling is expressive, subjective and needs to be approached from multiple angles so as to find the stories that are not told.
Casey believes the biggest challenge in the African film and TV industry is finding platforms and outlets to distribute creative works produced on the continent that are simultaneously easily accessible to audiences. He draws her inspiration from Ian Akankwasa, also known as Sasha Vybz, who is an ambitious, hardworking and talented video director in Uganda. One day he hopes to set a similar example.