My name is Isaac Mutabazi, a filmmaker still in the becoming. But before this chapter began, there was a boy, barely past PLE, slipping into dimly lit kibanda’s with the neighborhood crew just to catch a glimpse of a world beyond. VJ Jingo was our narrator, who didn’t just translate, he performed. When he dropped lines like “Katandika butandisi!” or “The difference is the similarity!”, the room would erupt. We were hooked.
Those evenings weren’t just entertainment, but I didn’t know it yet, each dubbed film was laying bricks in what would become my cinematic foundation. Later, music pulled me in. I started DJ-ing, small gigs, local setups. From mixing tracks, I transitioned to cutting visuals. I’d edit dance battles, sync sound with movement, playing around with Nero8 and Ulead like a child learning to speak. Sony Vegas 11 followed. With each software came new skill and new obsession. I wasn’t just passing time. I was feeding something.
Then one day, I stumbled across Tears of Akello. That film didn’t come from Hollywood; it came from here. Home. It shook me! Not because it was perfect, but because it was possible. That realization that we can tell our stories hit like thunder.
From that moment, the grind became intentional. I buried myself in tutorials, practiced until exhaustion. I began producing visual mashups, crafting wedding highlights, shaping music videos. Clients came. Confidence grew. But still, I felt something was missing. Structure. Vision. Community!
In 2020, I spotted a Facebook post about a Short Film Training which was free. I applied and attended. That training peeled back the layers. I realized filmmaking wasn’t just about shooting, it was about seeing. It was about thinking through everything before you even pick up the camera.
2023 I bought my Canon 70D and filmed everything, ceremonies, moments most would overlook. But still I needed more. That’s when I met Sisi Film Lab. I saw their call. Something in me whispered, “Apply.” I did and I got in.
Phase one was a storm on the floor. Real filmmakers walked us through the craft. Charlie, during the scriptwriting session reawakened something I hadn’t felt since secondary school MDD days. I’d forgotten that I loved stories. Today, I’ve written two screenplays both filmed with a team that believed in my voice.
Sound used to be a background thought. Now, I hear the weight of silence. I understand how audio deepens narrative. That sound can make a scene sing or sink.
Sisi Film Lab has not handed me a dream. It has helped me refine one I already carried. Now, I approach sets with purpose. I listen differently. I shoot with questions, not assumptions. I’ve grown quietly, steadily and radically.
Dr. Raymond Ocakacon always says, “We are heading to the Oscars.” And you know what? I believe him. Not because it’s easy. But because we now know it’s doable. So here I stand, camera in hand, story on my chest and the future in my line of sight. Katandika Butandisi!