Once Upon a Time in Uganda15

Directed by Cathryne Czubek | Uganda/USA | 2021 | 1h 34m

Inspired by the world of Rambo, Chuck Norris, and American cinema of the 1980s, Ugandan bricklayer Isaac Nabwana decides to make his own action movies. When his films become an internet sensation, they catch the attention of New York film programmer Alan Hofmanis who helps bring Issac’s films to international audiences. Cathryne Czubek’s playful documentary follows Issac and Alan’s unlikely partnership as the pair catapult “Wakaliwood” to worldwide stardom.

Reviews

‘It’s nice to see the old tension between selling out and staying pure never goes away in any corner of the film-making world.’
★★★★
Leslie Felperin, The Guardian

‘At its core, Once Upon a Time in Uganda is a triumphant celebration of a shared love of cinema.’
★★★★
Andrew Murray, The Upcoming

Book tickets

Friday 29 September

6.15pmBook tickets
Sunday 1 October

8.00pmBook tickets
Tuesday 3 October

6.15pmBook tickets
Thursday 5 October

3.45pmBook tickets

What else is on?

Today (Friday 29th September)

15:45

Past Lives 12A
1h 46m | Korean w/ English subtitles
Celine Song's critically-acclaimed and deeply romantic feature debut about two childhood friends from South Korea who reunite for one week in New York after two decades spent apart.

Book here

18:15

Once Upon a Time in Uganda 15
1h 34m
Playful documentary looking at the world of “Wakaliwood”, Uganda's own DIY action movie industry, and the creative endeavours of bricklayer-turned-filmmaker, Isaac Nabwana.

Book here

20:30

Love Life 12A
2h 3m | Japanese & Korean w/ English subtitles
An intricately plotted domestic drama following a Japanese couple whose marriage is thrown into question following a sequence of fateful events. Directed by the award-winning filmmaker Kôji Fukada.

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Tomorrow (Saturday 30th September)

15:00

Love Life 12A
2h 3m | Japanese & Korean w/ English subtitles
An intricately plotted domestic drama following a Japanese couple whose marriage is thrown into question following a sequence of fateful events. Directed by the award-winning filmmaker Kôji Fukada.

Book here

18:00

Cli-Fi: Everything is Connected 12A
The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities presents a screening of two films from the Experimental Film and Media and Art school at Berlin University of the Arts. Followed by post-screening conversation.

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21:00

Serpico 15
2h 10m
Al Pacino stars in this gripping crime drama based on the true story of Frank Serpico, the NYPD police officer who risked his life to expose corruption within the police department.

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Plan your visit

Our beautiful art deco inspired auditorium can be found just off East Oxford's Cowley Road. We are open 7 days a week. We open the cinema and box office 30 minutes before the scheduled start time of each film, and the Box Office then closes 10 minutes after the film starts. We don’t show adverts, just a couple of trailers, so don't be late as the film itself starts very close to the advertised time!