One of the Most Awarded Documentaries of the Year, Highlighting the Ongoing Fight for Freedom and Democracy in Uganda, Is Heading Back to Theaters for a Limited Run Starting Friday, Jan. 12 From Producer of Multiple Academy AwardⓇ-Winning Films John Battsek and DGA-Nominated Directors Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp
National Geographic Documentary Films announced today it is bringing BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT back to the big screen on Jan. 12-14 in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The film, co-directed by Ugandan-born filmmakers Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp, follows Bobi Wine, the Ugandan opposition leader, former member of parliament, activist and national superstar musician during the country’s 2021 presidential elections, where he risks his life to fight the ruthless regime led by Yoweri Museveni. Museveni has been in power since 1986 and changed Uganda’s constitution to enable him to run for yet another five-year term.
“Bobi Wine is a courageous African leader committed to bringing democracy and equality to the people of Uganda. A rerelease of BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT over the holiday weekend is the perfect opportunity to honor his heroism,” said Carolyn Bernstein, executive vice president of Scripted and Documentary Films for National Geographic. “We are dedicated to sharing this film with the widest audience possible in order to urgently highlight Bobi’s inspiring fight for freedom.”
Born in the slums of Kampala, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, famously known as Bobi Wine, is a musician turned politician who is the current leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP) and the People Power Movement. He has campaigned for hospital sanitization, malaria prevention, refugees’ rights and children’s education. His songs are known as peaceful protests and edutainment (a mix between education and entertainment), focusing on the struggles of Uganda’s underprivileged and low-income earners and calling upon young people to join politics and change their country’s destiny.
Co-directors Bwayo and Sharp noted, “We are thrilled audiences in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco will have another chance to watch the film in theaters and to learn more about what’s happening in Uganda.”
“As documentary filmmakers, we were fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to relate events that can bring about transformation,” Bwayo and Sharp continue. “Our goal in making this film was to create an authentic representation, not just of the dramatic events unfolding in Uganda but also of the raw and genuine spirit of an inspiring group of people. In a world that presently feels more tyrannical than ever, where truth has become expendable. We have a duty to celebrate those who stand against violence and offer hope in the face of autocracy.”
BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, where critics raved, calling it “a portrait of unfathomable political courage” (The Playlist) and “an intimate portrait of a hugely engaging figure” (Screen International), with Variety noting that the film “startles with its immediacy.”
Most recently, the film was awarded the prestigious Best Documentary Feature Award by the International Documentary Association (IDA) and co-director Christopher Sharp has been selected for the BAFTA longlist as a contender for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
As it screened all over the world, the film has made stops at the Telluride Film Festival, BFI London International Film Festival, IDFA and The Hamptons International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature. It continued to shine on the festival circuit in 2023 with sold-out showings at True/False, CPH: DOX and Millennium International Documentary Film Festival, taking home two of the festival’s coveted statues: the Audience Award in international competition as well as the Human Rights Award. Additional awards the film has picked up this year include the Audience Award for Documentary Feature at the Boston International Film Festival, as well as the Special Jury Award at the 2023 Blue Water Awards.
The following theaters will be showing BOBI WINE: THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT:
New York City, IFC Center — Find showtimes here.
Los Angeles, Laemmle Monica Film Center — Find showtimes here.
San Francisco, Presidio Theater — Find showtimes here.
Oscar-Shortlisted categories can be found here:
https://press.oscars.org/news/96th-oscarsr-shortlists-10-award-categories-announced
National Geographic Documentary Films has multiple award-winning films under its banner, including the Academy, BAFTA and seven-time Emmy® Award-winning “Free Solo,” the Academy Award- and BAFTA-nominated and Peabody and Sundance Award-winning “Fire of Love,” and the Academy Award- and Emmy Award-nominated “The Cave.” Other critically acclaimed films in its collection include BAFTA nominees “The Rescue” and “Becoming Cousteau,” the Sundance and Peabody Award-winning “The Territory,” three-time Emmy Award winner “The First Wave,” Emmy winners “LA 92” and “Jane,” and the short film “The Flagmakers.”
About National Geographic Documentary Films
National Geographic Documentary Films is committed to bringing the world premium, feature documentaries that cover timely, provocative and globally relevant stories from the very best documentary filmmakers in the world. National Geographic Documentary Films is part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society. Our diverse films reach millions worldwide across National Geographic channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO) and direct-to-consumer platforms Disney+ and Hulu. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 135 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. Recent films include the Academy Award ® and BAFTA nominated “Fire of Love,” three-time Emmy Award winner “The First Wave,” two-time Sundance award-winner “The Territory,” BAFTA nominees “The Rescue” and “Becoming Cousteau,” and Academy Award® and BAFTA winner “Free Solo.” For more information visit films.nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
About Southern Films
Southern Films was founded by Christopher Sharp for the initial purpose of producing the documentary: Bobi Wine The People’s President. Southern Films will continue to develop projects that tell stories that expose injustice and celebrate those who stand in the face of adversity.
About Ventureland
Ventureland is an independent creative studio that specializes in developing original entertainment properties that span traditional and emerging media platforms, including theatrical, streaming, podcasts, and more. Founded by Academy Award-winning producer John Battsek (The Rescue, Listen to Me Marlon, Searching for Sugar Man) and PrettyBird partners Kerstin Emhoff, Ali Brown, and Paul Hunter, Ventureland collaborates with acclaimed filmmakers and the world’s top studios to deliver award-winning film and TV.
About Variance Films
Founded in 2008, Variance Films is a US-based specialty theatrical distributor dedicated to bringing the best movies from around the world to theaters across North America. Variance works with established companies to execute or augment their own theatrical releases, as well as collaborates directly with filmmakers wishing to take charge of their own distribution.
Recent Variance theatrical releases include SS Rajamouli’s Academy Award® winning sensation “RRR”, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Academy Award® winning “Drive My Car” (for Sideshow/Janus Films), Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave” (for Mubi), and Jerzy Skolimowski’s “EO” (for Sideshow/Janus Films). Past Variance releases include the debut features from Eliza Hittman, Damien Chazelle, and Terence Nance, as well as films from Spike Lee, John Sayles, Dave Grohl, and Zhang Yimou.
In 2023, Variance was named to Fast Company’s prestigious Most Innovative Companies list for its “auteur-friendly approach” that transforms its releases “into the kind of theatergoing events one might expect from a Marvel blockbuster.” Connect with Variance at Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky.
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Contacts
Felicia Wong, fwong@clucollective.com
Marcus Cammack, marcus.cammack@natgeo.com
Kristin Montalbano, kristin.montalbano@natgeo.com
